Taliban Rejects UNAMA Report on Civilian Trials in Military Courts
The Taliban administration has rejected a UNAMA report on the trial of civilians in military courts, saying no civilians have been tried in those courts.
Mansoor Ahmad Hamza, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban’s Supreme Court, said yesterday that the claim made in UNAMA’s latest report does not match reality. He stressed that, according to the administration, no civilian has been brought before military courts.
In part of his remarks, he said: “We clearly reject the report published by UNAMA, which claims that civilians have been tried in military courts and considers this action contrary to international law. We say that this claim is in no way consistent with the truth. The courts of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have always tried to carry out their responsibilities fairly, in accordance with Sharia, to enforce laws and people’s rights and prevent injustice. No civilian has been tried through military courts.”
The Supreme Court deputy spokesperson also called on those who prepared the UNAMA report to use accurate and documented information before publishing such material, so that, in his words, a false picture of the situation in Afghanistan is not presented.
Last week, UNAMA expressed concern in its 28-page report about continuing gaps in transparency and accountability within Afghanistan’s security institutions. The body also warned about the authority of military courts to try civilians and stressed that, under global human rights standards, civilians should normally be tried in independent civilian courts.
UNAMA, or the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, regularly publishes reports on the human rights situation and the performance of security and judicial institutions in the country. During the Taliban administration, these reports have repeatedly addressed transparency, accountability and access to fair judicial processes.
