Human Rights Watch Says Taliban Restrictions Have Expanded in Afghanistan

Human Rights Watch has said that five years after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, human rights restrictions in the country have expanded and fundamental freedoms remain under severe pressure.

In a report released on Friday, 27 September, the organization said the Taliban administration has expanded its system of control through a series of decrees, directives and laws.

According to the report, journalists, human rights defenders, protesters and former government officials, including former security forces members, still face arbitrary detention, prolonged imprisonment, torture and other forms of mistreatment.

Human Rights Watch also said corporal punishment, including flogging and executions, continues, and in some cases these punishments are carried out after proceedings that fall short of fair trial standards.

Another section of the report says ethnic and religious groups, including Hazaras and Ismaili Shiites, continue to face discrimination and targeted violence.

Human Rights Watch is an international human rights organization that regularly monitors and reports on the human rights situation in countries around the world, including Afghanistan.