Taliban Accused of Torturing and Threatening Afghans Expelled from Pakistan and Iran

Kokcha News Agency: A report released Thursday by the U.N. mission in Afghanistan has accused the Taliban of subjecting Afghans forcibly returned from Pakistan and Iran to torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, and threats to their personal security.

The report highlights the plight of millions of Afghans who have been expelled from neighboring countries, with many facing persecution due to their gender, links to the former Western-backed government, or profession.

Pakistan and Iran have been deporting large numbers of Afghans, claiming they are living in their countries illegally. While Afghan authorities have urged returnees to come back, promising amnesty for those who left after the Taliban took power in 2021, the U.N. and rights groups have warned that many face severe risks upon their return.

The U.N. report documents harrowing accounts of abuse. One former government official, who returned to Afghanistan in 2023, reported being detained and severely tortured with sticks and cables, subjected to waterboarding, and a mock execution.

A non-binary individual described being beaten with the back of a gun. Many returnees have gone into hiding or relocated out of fear of Taliban reprisals.

Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasized that no one should be sent back to a country where they face persecution based on their identity or personal history.

He noted that Afghan women and girls, in particular, are subjected to measures “amounting to persecution based on their gender alone,” including severe restrictions on education, employment, and access to public spaces.

The Taliban have denied the allegations, rejecting claims of arrest, violence, intimidation, or retaliation against returnees.

They stated that Afghans returning from neighboring countries are provided with documentation, transportation, resettlement, and legal support, and are given a “warm welcome” by the Interior Ministry. The Taliban also called on the U.N. to prevent forced deportations and to provide basic needs such as food, medicine, shelter, and education to refugees.

Meanwhile, the situation for Afghans abroad remains precarious. Thousands of Afghans in the U.S. recently lost protection from deportation after a federal appeals court refused to delay the Trump administration’s decision to end their Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Despite claims by Homeland Security that Afghanistan is becoming safer, aid groups argue the country remains extremely dangerous.

The Trump administration’s suspension of a refugee program and a travel ban on Afghans have further complicated the situation, leaving many stranded in Pakistan with dwindling hopes of resettlement in the U.S.