Afghanistan: Detentions and killing of political personalities

Taleban authorities have arrested up to 200 Afghan political personalities over the past year, apparently on account of their peaceful opposition to the continued war in the country. The vast majority of the detainees, who include intellectuals, community leaders, former army officers and civil servants of Pashtun ethnic background, have reportedly been severely tortured. Over a dozen of them were killed while in custody. Some of the detainees have been released but around 100 still remain in detention. Among the detainees are children held hostage in place of their fathers who have escaped arrest. This report is based on interviews with former detainees and others with detailed personal knowledge of these arrests and killings. Amnesty International is particularly disturbed by these arrests which appear to represent a crackdown on elements within the Afghan society who are peacefully advocating the establishment of a civil society and rule of law after years of devastation and gross human rights violations. Amnesty International neither supports nor opposes any of the warring factions in Afghanistan and has documented abuses on all sides over many years. It urges that all perpetrators of human rights violations against the Afghan people should be brought to justice and that no one should be allowed impunity. It strongly urges all parties in Afghanistan to take human rights protection seriously and to respond to calls for an end to the cycle of abuses. Amnesty International is also gravely concerned about the conditions of detention for these and other detainees. In recent weeks, the Taleban authorities have allowed an Afghan human rights group to visit the prison in Mazar-e Sharif where some 90 political prisoners and 10 people arrested on accusation of alleged un-Islamic behaviour were held. Following the concern raised by the human rights monitors about their situation, Taleban authorities reportedly investigated the prisoners' cases and ordered their release. Amnesty International welcomes these developments and urges the Taleban authorities to extend access for independent human rights monitors to other prisons including in Shebarghan and Kandahar, as a matter of priority. Amnesty International would welcome a dialogue with all faction leaders with regard to the concerns raised in its documents and on the practical steps they can take to end these abuses.