UN: Taliban killed dozens via beheading or hanging, displayed their bodies to instill fear

The Taliban have killed dozens of people either by beheading or hanging them after taking control over Afghanistan, according to Nada Al-Nashif, who serves as the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. In a statement released on Tuesday, he revealed that more than 100 citizens in addition to former members of the Afghan national security have been killed with their bodies publically displayed to bolster an environment of fear. In addendum to the aforementioned executions, the Taliban has also killed more than 50 members of the ISIS-K group. 

Meanwhile, the UN official also laid bare the Taliban’s crackdown on journalists and activists. Since the takeover, two journalists and eight activists have been killed, Al-Nashif said. Meanwhile, the insurgent administration has also unlawfully detained 59 people and recruited ‘child soldiers’. Echoing global concerns, she said that the condition of women, judicial officials, and ex-Afghan officials remains a matter of concern. 

"Between August and November, we received credible allegations of more than 100 killings of former Afghan national security forces and others associated with the former government," she told UN Human Rights Council.

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan on August 15, ending over two months of military blitz. Since then, a situation of conflict and crisis has shadowed the Central Asian country, pushing millions of residents on the brink of devastation. Not only has the power overhaul left more than 2.6 people seeking asylum, as per a report by UNHCR, but has also pushed the people who stayed back into poverty and hunger. 

Are Taliban's atrocities being repeated? 

The Taliban’s previous regime marked the darkest time for Afghan women. During their rule, the Islamist group forbade women from getting any kind of education and blatantly denied their right to work. They also stopped women from travelling outside their homes without a male relative to accompany them. More gruesome acts included public executions. The Taliban chopped off the hands of thieves and stoned women accused of adultery. More recently, reports of the Taliban killing women for donning inappropriate clothes, or violating several Sharia laws have surfaced. 

(Image: AP)