Taliban vow to probe reports of summary killings in Afghanistan despite amnesty decree

The Taliban on Sunday promised to probe reports of execution and forcible disappearance of former police and intelligence officers in Afghanistan since taking over the country in August despite a proclaimed amnesty.

Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi claimed that "Mujahidin" are fully committed to implementing amnesty decree and employees of previous admin are not being persecuted for their former opposition." Any Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) member found breaching amnesty decree will be prosecuted and penalized, he added

"Incidents will be thoroughly investigated but unsubstantiated rumours should not be taken at face value," Balkhi said in a tweet.

Earlier this week, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a report documented the killing or disappearance of 47 former members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) -- military personnel, police, intelligence service members, and militia -- who had surrendered to or were apprehended by Taliban forces between August 15 and October 31.

The rights group gathered credible information on more than 100 killings from Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, and Kunduz provinces alone.

"The Taliban leadership's promised amnesty has not stopped local commanders from summarily executing or disappearing former Afghan security force members," said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The burden is on the Taliban to prevent further killings, hold those responsible to account, and compensate the victims' families."

The United States and 20 other countries expressed "deep concern" over the summary killings and enforced disappearances in Afghanistan after the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban in August this year.

"We are deeply concerned by reports of summary killings and enforced disappearances of former members of the Afghan security forces as documented by Human Rights Watch and others," the State Department said.

"We underline that the alleged actions constitute serious human rights abuses and contradict the Taliban's announced amnesty. We call on the Taliban to effectively enforce the amnesty for former members of the Afghan security forces and former Government officials to ensure that it is upheld across the country and throughout their ranks," they added.

( With inputs from ANI )