Taliban Detains Six Rights Workers in Afghanistan, HRW Says
HRW says Taliban forcibly disappeared six staff of a women's and children's rights group; UN mission staff also detained in Herat.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Afghanistan's Taliban authorities of forcibly disappearing six employees of a local organization that advocates for women's and children's rights. The advocacy group said the men were detained on July 18 after being summoned to their office in Kabul to retrieve confiscated laptops and phones. Their families have not been informed of their whereabouts, condition, or any charges against them.
HRW called on the Taliban to allow family and legal visits and to release the men immediately unless they face a recognizable criminal charge. The group's women's rights director, Macarena Sáez, said the Taliban appears to view any assistance to women and girls as a threat to their rule. She urged the authorities to provide information on the six staff members and release them if held unlawfully.
The detentions come just days before the Taliban marks the fifth anniversary of its return to power on August 15. The group seized control in 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew, and has since barred girls from secondary schools and restricted women from higher education, employment, and public life.
Separately, the United Nations reported that two Afghan employees of its political mission were detained on Sunday in Herat by the Taliban's intelligence directorate. The UN has not been informed of the charges and has not been allowed to visit them. The mission has called for compliance with UN privileges and immunities.
The Taliban has not commented on either incident. The detentions occur amid a worsening humanitarian crisis and escalating cross-border clashes with Pakistani forces. The UN mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, said it has no information on whether the two incidents are connected.