War crimes by the Taliban

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War crimes by the Taliban since the Taliban's emergence in the 1990s include extrajudicial killings of civilians during its period running the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, [1] [2] systematic killings of civilians and wartime sexual violence during the 2010s, [3] [4] and executions of civilians during the 2021 Taliban offensive. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

Extrajudicial killings of civilians

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)

In its military takeover of Mazar-i-Sharif starting on 8 August 1998, the Taliban shot dead and slit the throats of civilians, mostly Hazaras, and some Tajiks and Uzbeks, from around 10:30 until midday. Executions continued through to 13 or 14 August. [1] The Taliban carried out massacres in May 2000 and January 2001, primarily of Hazaras. In the May 2000 Robotak Pass massacre, 31 people were killed by Taliban forces, among whom 26 were "positively identified as civilians" by Human Rights Watch (HRW). For four days starting on 8 January 2001, Taliban forces shot dead 170 civilians in Yakawlang by firing squad. [2]

Armed opposition (2001–2021)

In 2010, the Taliban systematically killed civilians in Afghanistan, usually based on the claim that the victims supported the Afghan government. A journalist interviewed by Amnesty International said that village elders refusing to cooperate with the Taliban were executed and posthumously accused of being "American spies". [3]

In 2015 in Kunduz, Taliban death squads used a hit list of civilians – "activists, journalists and civil servants", carried out house-to-house searches and killed them. Taliban forces entered the house of a wounded woman and shot her fatally in the head. [4]

2021 Taliban offensive

During the first half of 2021, Taliban forces were responsible for killing 699 civilians according to United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) [9] [5] or 917 according to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). [6] The Taliban were responsible for "the vast majority" of the destruction and looting of private homes and civilian infrastructure during May and June, according to UNAMA. [9] [5] The US and other countries started to pull out remaining troops in early 2021.

On 12 May 2021, Sohail Pardis, who had worked for 16 months as a translator for United States armed forces in Afghanistan, was beheaded by the Taliban after being taken outside of his car. [7]

On 16 June, in Dawlat Abad, 22 unarmed Afghan Special Forces commandos were executed while attempting to surrender to Taliban forces. A video of the event circulated widely and was broadcast by CNN. Samira Hamidi of Amnesty International described the event as "the cold-blooded murder of surrendering soldiers – a war crime". She called for the event to be investigated as part of the International Criminal Court investigation in Afghanistan. [10]

In July 2021 in Kandahar, Taliban forces extrajudicially executed critics and people thought to have been members of province-level governments and their relatives. Patricia Gossman of HRW stated that the "Taliban commanders with oversight over such atrocities are also responsible for war crimes". She described the executions as "demonstrat[ing] the willingness of Taliban commanders to violently crush even the tamest criticism or objection". [8] [11] Estimates of the number of civilians arbitrarily detained in the Taliban mid-July takeover of Spin Boldak range from 380 [12] to 900, [11] with the number arbitrarily executed ranging from 40 [13] to 100. [12]

In early July 2021 in Malestan District, Taliban forces killed civilians, looted private properties, set them on fire, and destroyed and looted shops. [14] During 4–6 July 2021 in Mundarakht in Malestan District, the Taliban extrajudicially executed nine Hazaras. Hazaras have previously been persecuted by the Taliban. [15] Three were tortured by Taliban security forces prior to their executions: Wahed Qaraman's legs and arms were broken, his hair was pulled out and he was beaten in the face; Jaffar Rahimi was severely beaten and strangled to death with his scarf; Sayed Abdul Hakim was beaten, had his arms tied and his legs shot before he was shot in the chest. Three were executed at a Taliban checkpoint and the other three were executed in Mundarakht. [16]

On 15 July 2021, photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was killed in Spin Boldak, either in crossfire between Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the Taliban or by execution after being captured by the Taliban. His body was mutilated, leaving his face unrecognisable and tyre marks on his face and chest. [17]

On 22 July 2021, a popular comedian, Nazar Mohammad, known as "Khasha Zwan", was executed by the Taliban in Kandahar Province. [8] [18]

In late July, four security force personnel and a hospital worker from Shakardara District were tortured by Taliban forces and executed. The cousin of one of the victims, Abdul Rahman, stated that the Taliban removed his cousin's eyes and tongue and ran a car over him before shooting him. [19] A commander in the Afghan forces, Abdul Hamid, was executed by the Taliban near Herat after being taken prisoner. [20]

On 6 August 2021, Taliban forces claimed responsibility for the 5 August assassination of Dawa Khan Menapal, head of the governmental media and information centre, in Kabul. [21] On the same day, during which the Taliban took control of Zaranj, human rights activist Laal Gul Laal stated that the execution of 30 soldiers by the Taliban was a war crime. According to TOLOnews, some of the soldiers were tortured and had their eyes removed by the Taliban before they were killed. The Taliban stated that the soldiers had been killed in combat. [22]

On 21 August 2021, a video showing Haji Mullah Achakzai, the ex-police chief of Badghis province, was shown blindfolded and restrained before he was shot to death by Taliban fighters at close range. [23] It was reported on 30 August 2021 that Ghulam Sakhi Akbari, ex-police chief of Farha province, was killed at the Kabul-Kandahar highway. [24]

On 2 September 2021, folk singer Fawad Andarab was executed by Taliban fighters after being taken from his house in Andarab Valley. [25]

On 5 September 2021, Arabic-speaking Taliban fighters were singled out as the culprits for murdering an ex-female police officer named Banu Negar in Firozkoh. [26]

Sexual violence

In 2015 in Kunduz, Taliban forces carried out rape, including gang rape. One woman was gang-raped and executed by the Taliban as punishment for having provided reproductive health services to women. [4]

Analysis

Officially, the Taliban has policies forbidding its members from killing civilians, cutting off certain body parts (e.g., noses and ears), or employing suicide attacks against targets lacking significant military value. It has established nominally independent commissions and disseminated phone numbers for anonymous reporting of incidents involving civilian attacks by its members, many of whom have been expelled or severely punished for violations.

Despite these efforts, thousands of Afghan civilians have been killed in Taliban attacks since 2001, with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) attributing 74% of Afghan civilian casualties in 2013 to the Taliban. Max Abrahms states that the Taliban's leadership suffers from acute command and control problems due to the fractious nature of the organization and the impact of targeted killings of high-ranking Taliban officials by the U.S. military, which have tended to empower younger commanders more inclined to lash out against the civilian population. Abrahms found that when civilians are harmed, the Taliban often denies responsibility for attacks, sometimes even retracting initial claims of responsibility due to a mounting civilian death toll. [27]

International Criminal Court

An International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation in Afghanistan was authorised to proceed in 2020, after the collection of information from victims during 2017 and 2018, a 2019 request to open an investigation, a rejection of the request, and an overturning of the rejection of the request. The investigation concerns war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since 1 May 2003, in the context of the war in Afghanistan, by the Taliban and affiliated armed groups, war crimes by the Afghan National Security Forces, and war crimes committed in Afghanistan, Poland, Romania and Lithuania by United States Armed Forces and the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). [28] [29]

Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission

The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) published a brief report after investigating the Taliban takeover of Spin Boldak on 14 July 2021 through "reliable local sources", and interviews with witnesses and victims' families. The AIHRC found that the Taliban forces killed 40 civilians and looted private properties, in violation of international humanitarian law. [13]

See also

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References

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  2. 1 2 "Afghanistan – Massacres of Hazaras in Afghanistan – Summary". Human Rights Watch . 2001. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  3. 1 2 "Taliban Leaders Should Be Prosecuted for War Crimes in Afghanistan". Amnesty International . 2010-08-10. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  4. 1 2 3 "Afghanistan: Harrowing accounts emerge of the Taliban's reign of terror in Kunduz". Amnesty International . 2015-10-01. Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  5. 1 2 3 "Afghanistan – Protection of civilians in armed conflict midyear update: 1 January to 30 June 2021" (PDF). UNAMA . 2021-07-25. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  6. 1 2 "Summary Report on Civilian Casualties in the First Six Months of 2021". Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission . 2021-08-01. Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  7. 1 2 Sidhu, Sandi; Coren, Anna; Regan, Helen; Bina, Abdul Basir (2021-07-23). "Afghan interpreter for US Army was beheaded by Taliban. Others fear they will be hunted down too". CNN . Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  8. 1 2 3 "Afghanistan: Mounting Taliban Revenge Killings – Insurgents Beat, Execute Popular Comedian in Kandahar". Human Rights Watch . 2021-07-30. Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  9. 1 2 "New UNAMA Civilian Casualties report: The human cost of the Taleban push to take territory". Afghanistan Analysts . 2021-07-26. Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  10. ↑ Coren, Anna; Sidhu, Sandi; Lister, Tim; Bina, Abdul Basir (2021-07-14). "Taliban fighters execute 22 Afghan commandos as they try to surrender". CNN . Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  11. 1 2 Shaheed, Anisa (2021-08-04). "Taliban Killed 'Possibly 800-900 People' in Kandahar: Tadin Khan". TOLOnews . Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  12. 1 2 Shaheed, Anisa (2021-07-22). "Sources Allege 100 Civilians Killed After Fall of Spin Boldak". TOLOnews . Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  13. 1 2 "Violations of International Humanitarian Law in Spin Boldak District of Kandahar Province". Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission . 2021-07-31. Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  14. ↑ Rahimi, Zahra (2021-07-22). "'43 People Killed by Taliban' in Ghazni, Residents Claim". TOLOnews . Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  15. ↑ "Afghanistan: Taliban 'tortured and massacred' men from Hazara minority". BBC News . 2021-08-20. Archived from the original on 2021-08-20. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  16. ↑ "Afghanistan: Taliban responsible for brutal massacre of Hazara men – new investigation". Amnesty International . 2021-08-19. Archived from the original on 2021-08-20. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  17. ↑ Mashal, Mujib (2021-07-31). "Body of Reuters Photographer Was Mutilated in Taliban Custody, Officials Say". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  18. ↑ Ansar, Massoud (2021-07-29). "EU Says Govt Can't Tell Media What The National Interest Is". TOLOnews . Archived from the original on 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  19. ↑ Ansar, Massoud (2021-07-23). "Residents Claim Taliban Killed 5 People in Kabul District". TOLOnews . Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  20. ↑ Salehi, Naser Ahmad (2021-07-31). "Taliban Gets Closer to Herat City as Clashes Intensify". TOLOnews . Archived from the original on 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  21. ↑ "Head of Govt's Media, Information Center Assassinated". TOLOnews . 2021-08-06. Archived from the original on 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  22. ↑ "Taliban Captures Capital of Nimroz Province". TOLOnews . 2021-08-06. Archived from the original on 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  23. ↑ https://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/afghanistan-taliban-execute-police-chief-despite-promising-not-to-seek-retribution/news-story/7473f8a8c66ec8d87a502cdfa6186112
  24. ↑ https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/growing-reports-of-detentions-and-taliban-reprisals-against-former-regime-officials-1.4659245
  25. ↑ https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2021/09/02/fear-of-music-afghan-folk-singer-executed-by-the-taliban.html
  26. ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58455826
  27. ↑ Abrahms, Max (2018). Rules for Rebels: The Science of Victory in Militant History. Oxford University Press. pp. 157–160, 173–175. ISBN   9780192539441.
  28. ↑ "Focus: Alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Afghanistan since 1 May 2003". International Criminal Court. 2019-04-09. Archived from the original on 2019-04-09. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  29. ↑ "ICC authorises investigation into alleged Afghanistan war crimes". Al Jazeera English . 2020-03-05. Archived from the original on 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
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