UNAMA: Taliban torture returning refugees
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has announced in a new report that refugees deported from Iran and Pakistan have been detained, tortured and ill-treated by the Taliban upon their return to Afghanistan.
The report, released on Thursday, July 24, shows that the Taliban are harassing fugitives upon their return. UNAMA and the UN Human Rights Council have recorded and documented these cases since 2023.
UNAMA has warned that specific groups such as women, civil society activists, journalists and former security forces face serious risks of reprisals if they return.
The report, which interviews 49 people deported in 2024, paints a disturbing picture of the human rights situation.
UN Human Rights Council President Volker Turk has stressed that people under threat should not be returned to Afghanistan.
The report comes as thousands of Afghan refugees are being deported from Iran and Pakistan every day, many of whom are handed over to the Taliban without any consideration of their legal or security status.
