Taliban Systematically Restricts Minorities’ Rights & Services, Says Rights Group

Rawadari, a human rights organisation, has exposed widespread violations against ethnic and religious minorities in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

In its latest report, the group accuses the Taliban of deliberately denying minorities access to government services, infrastructure projects, and humanitarian aid.

Taliban Interference in Humanitarian Aid Distribution

The report examines Afghanistan’s human rights situation in 2024, highlighting that the Taliban distributes humanitarian aid based on ethnic affiliation and loyalty to the group.

In Badakhshan, no infrastructure projects have been carried out in Ismaili-majority areas, with aid primarily directed to Taliban-controlled regions such as Warduj district. Similarly, in Daikundi, development projects are selectively allocated based on ethnic criteria, while in Bamiyan, Hazara-majority areas have been deprived of humanitarian assistance.

Rawadari cited a relief organisation official in Kandahar who reported that Taliban officials submitted a list of 150 individuals linked to the group when coordinating aid distribution for returnees.

Discrimination in Government Hiring and Exclusion of Minorities

The Taliban has actively prevented ethnic and religious minorities from working in government institutions and has dismissed them from official positions.

The report states that in Herat, all minority employees who worked in government offices under the previous administration have been removed. In Badakhshan, no Ismaili followers remain in government positions across six Ismaili-majority districts. In Nimruz, Shia Muslims have been completely excluded from government offices.

In Kunar, 12 university professors were dismissed for being Salafi. In Ghazni, Bamiyan, and Daikundi, Hazara employees were collectively removed and replaced with Taliban affiliates.

Religious Discrimination and Suppression

The Taliban has systematically removed religious books belonging to minorities from educational and cultural institutions. In Bamiyan, Ghazni, and Daikundi, books related to Jafari jurisprudence have been confiscated from universities and libraries.

In Badakhshan, Ismailis are being pressured to adopt Hanafi jurisprudence. Construction of Ismaili religious sites has been banned in Shighnan and Eshkashem. The report also states that in certain provinces, marriages between Sunni and Shia individuals have been prohibited, with only Sunni men allowed to marry Shia women.

Rise in Forced Disappearances and Targeted Killings

The report highlights a sharp increase in forced disappearances and targeted killings in 2024. Rawadari documented that in 10 provinces, at least 51 individuals have gone missing after being arrested by the Taliban, marking a 70 percent rise compared to 2023.

Most of those targeted are former government employees, human rights activists, and individuals accused of supporting opposition groups. The report also states that at least 91 former government employees and their family members were killed or injured in targeted attacks.

In 2024 alone, at least 885 individuals, including 42 women, were arbitrarily arrested and imprisoned.

Torture and Killings in Taliban Prisons

Rawadari’s findings indicate that at least 20 prisoners have been killed under Taliban custody after being tortured, while 13 others were transferred to hospitals due to severe mistreatment.

The report also states that most women’s prisons lack female staff. Only a few women, mainly guards or inspectors, work in public prisons and return home at night.

The Taliban has claimed that around 20,000 people are currently held in their prisons, mostly accused of collaborating with opposition groups or spreading anti-Taliban propaganda.

Sources in Kabul report a surge in arbitrary arrests. An informed source told Afghanistan International that prisons receive financial support from international organisations, creating incentives for the Taliban to increase the number of detainees. The source alleged that this is why arbitrary arrests have intensified across the country.