Berlin: United States and a group of Western countries including Germany, France and Britain have expressed concern for the murder reported and disappeared former member of the Afghan security forces after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August.
In the combined statement issued during the weekend, 21 countries plus the European Union referred to the abuse report documented by Human Rights Watch and others.
“We underlined that the alleged action was a serious human rights violation and contrary to Amnesty announced by the Taliban,” said the statement, which was issued by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The reported cases must be immediately investigated and transparently, those responsible must be accounted for, and these steps must be clearly published as immediate prevention for further murder and removal,” he said.
The Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman said Khosti rejected allegations of retaliation, said there was no evidence presented.
“If there is evidence, it must be distributed to us,” he said in a video statement, referring to the general amnesty announced by the Taliban government.
“We have some individual murder cases of former government but this is because of private hostility and we have arrested those involved.” “It’s slander of the Afghan Islamic Emirates, not justice.” Human Rights Watch said in a report on November 30 that the Taliban forces in Afghanistan had implemented or disappeared more than 100 former police and intelligence officers since taking over the country on August 15, despite the proclaimed amnesty.
The Taliban Interior Ministry has rejected the Human Rights Watch report but said that he would arrest anyone who could be proven to have resisted violence against former military members.
Facing a deep economic crisis after withdrawal of sudden foreign aid when Western countries came out of Afghanistan, the Taliban had requested international support to prevent humanitarian disasters, with more than half the population eliminating hunger during the winter.
The joint statement said, “We will continue to measure the Taliban with their actions”.
This statement was issued by Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, United States Kingdom, Ukraine and the United States.