With the signing of peace agreement between US and Taliban and beginning of intra-Afghan talks, many overseas media, a number of domestic and foreign experts and even certain authorities and representatives of the countries involved in peace process, including the US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had emphasized that today’s Taliban are not Taliban of 20 years before, adding that they have changed and respect values of human rights, women rights and freedom of speech.
In recent years, Taliban spared no efforts to show people and the world that they have changed and try to a large extend to hidden their brutal acts and blame Afghan government for bloodshed. Taliban were promoted from a terrorist group to a political movement and international prestige and reputation was granted to this faction. Taliban leaders were given the opportunity to go out of their hideout and gained aspect.
Certain regional countries laid red carpet to them and gave them enough respects, in such a way that they were the only owner of the country. They have been hosted and negotiated by different countries, which brought nothing, but legitimacy to the terror acts of the group.
Even in that time too, those who had acquaintance with Taliban interpretation from politics, religion, governance and human rights values as well as their external roots, didn’t believe to polishing of certain domestic and foreign media. Now that Taliban have gained more strength than before and have extended their area under control to an extent, they have recreated their original nature and identity.
Taliban actions and behavior with people under their domination in the last one and two months proved that yes the Taliban have changed, but they became worse than before. As in his address to the national assembly, the presidents said that Taliban have become more violent, more cruel and more oppressor.
The actions that were practiced by ISIS terrorist groups in recent years in Syria and Iraq, now Taliban repeat them in Afghanistan. Murder and killing of innocent people, conducting Kangaroos courts, merciless killing of government employees, reporters, journalists, cultural professionals, compulsory relocation of local people from their villages, compulsory wedding of young girls and women, destroying of public utility installations and so on are included the Taliban inhuman crimes committed in area under their domination. In the last month, Taliban have taken out hundreds of civilians from their homes with no reason and executed them. Mass murder of civilians in Spin Boldak is a testimony to our claim.
Photos and videos of Taliban inhuman actions available in media and social networks are disturbing and shocking to everybody. Fearing from no prosecution, Taliban systematically violate human rights frankly with killing of innocent people.
What is further disturbing and painful to the Afghan people is that Taliban leaders are not asked or prosecuted by no country or organization while they are the number one responsible for actions and crimes of their armed men. They have been living in Qatar luxurious hotels with peace of mind, hold meetings with representatives of different countries and struggling to grasp powers while they must be accountable for crimes perpetrated by their subordinate militants.
The Afghan people want the international community particularly the UNSC to exert heavy pressures on Taliban leaders and supporters to give up crimes against humanity. Human rights is an accepted international principle and the world community must not acknowledge discrimination on this issue.
Crime is crime and doesn’t matter where it is committed either in Afghanistan or in a developed country. Indiscriminately and fair approach should take place with human rights violators.