Human rights issues occurred before, after Taliban takeover, says US report

Significant human rights issues occurred before and after the Taliban took over on August 15, 2021, the State Department said in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices on Tuesday.

The human rights issues included credible reports of extrajudicial killings by security forces; forced disappearances by antigovernment personnel; torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by security forces, the report said.

It also includes reports of serious restrictions on free expression and media by the Taliban, including violence against journalists and censorship; severe restrictions on religious freedom; restrictions on the right to leave the country.

"Significant human rights issues occurred before and after August 15. Details of which group or groups perpetuated these human rights issues are addressed throughout the report," the US State Department said.

"Widespread disregard for the rule of law and official impunity for those responsible for human rights abuses were common. The pre-August 15 government did not consistently or effectively investigate or prosecute abuses by officials, including security forces. After taking over, the Taliban formed a commission to identify and expel 'people of bad character' from its ranks," the report said.

The State Department said the report strives to provide a record of the status of human rights worldwide, covering 198 countries and territories.

The reports paint a picture of where human rights and democracy are under threat.

The report highlights where governments have unjustly jailed, tortured, or even killed political opponents, activists, human rights defenders, or journalists, including in Russia, China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, and Syria.