Afghanistan calls on international community, human rights agencies, ICC to prevent Taliban's atrocities

Afghanistan on Sunday called on the international community, human rights agencies, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to cooperate with the Afghan government in preventing the Taliban's organised atrocities and help in the prosecution of the perpetrators.

Afghanistan on Sunday called on the international community, human rights agencies, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to cooperate with the Afghan government in preventing the Taliban's organised atrocities and help in prosecution of the perpetrators.

According to an Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, the country welcomed the recent Human Rights Watch and other verified independent sources' report on documenting the Taliban's violence and crimes, and strongly condemned these reprehensible crimes.

The reports by verified independent resources and media indicate that the Taliban forces perpetrate in areas under their control unpardonable and prosecutable crimes, including illegal arrests, arbitral killings, torturing civilians, forced marriages, and violation of basic human rights, particularly women's rights.

Afghanistan government, appreciating independent verified international agencies' efforts in confirming the Taliban's non-compliance to their international commitments and the Doha Peace Agreement, stresses the need to convene an extraordinary meeting of the Human Rights Council and dispatching a fact-finding delegation to assess and follow up on the Taliban's violations and crimes against humanity, read the statement.

Over the past few weeks, Afghanistan has witnessed a surge in violence as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against Afghan forces and civilians with the complete pullback of foreign forces just a few weeks away.

Earlier, local media has reported that the Taliban have taken more than 300 people into custody and have detained them in unidentified locations.

A group of gunmen reportedly killed "over 100 civilians" in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province, TOLO News reported on Thursday citing sources.

The Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed the report, blaming the Taliban for the "murder of civilians."

"The brutal terrorists on the order of their Punjabi bosses (Pakistan) ambushed the homes of the innocent Afghans in certain areas of Spin Boldak, looted the homes and martyred 100 innocent people," said Mirwais Stanekzai, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior.

( With inputs from ANI )