The United Nations (UN) diplomatic mission in Afghanistan has documented over 1,600 cases of human rights violations during the arrest and subsequent detention of individuals.

According to a new report released on Wednesday, the cases documented across 29 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces cover the period from January 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023.

The report said half of these violations occurred throughout the process of arrest and custody in places of detention under the interior ministry and the spy agency of the country’s de facto authorities.

“In attempts to extract confessions or other information, detainees were subjected to severe pain and suffering.

“They go through physical beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation, stress positions and forced ingestion of water, as well as blindfolding and threats,” the report added.

The authorities have been urged to immediately stop the systematic use of torture and to uphold their obligations to protect the lives of people in detention.

Responding to the report, the Taliban’s foreign ministry told the UN that they are respecting the rights of detainees.

It said the interior ministry is currently drafting a procedure to prevent corporal punishment, persecution, and torture in detention centres in the country.

Although it had announced a general amnesty for all Afghans who worked with the previous Afghan government and the U.S.-led NATO forces in the last government, the Taliban are accused of violating human rights in Afghanistan.

In August, the UN reported 200 extrajudicial killings by the Taliban of members of the former Afghan government backed by the West.

Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban authorities have also detained any dissent.

(dpa/NAN)