Taliban announce general amnesty for all officials in Afghanistan
Sylvie Claire / August 17, 2021
The new leaders of the decades-old war-torn country are promising again that they have no plans to bring Afghanistan to the brink of war. The Taliban announced a general amnesty for all state officials on Tuesday, calling on them to return to work, two days after seizing power in Afghanistan with a lightning offensive. A general amnesty has been declared for all so you should go back to your normal routine with full confidence, the Taliban said in a statement.
However, during their rule between 1996 and 2001, the Taliban imposed their ultra-rigorous version of Islamic law. They have repeatedly promised that if they return to power, they will respect human rights, especially those of women, in accordance with Islamic values.
But in the newly conquered areas, they have already been accused of numerous atrocities, including the murder of civilians, beheadings, and the abduction of teenage girls for forced marriages.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, particularly concerned about the future of women and girls, whose hard-won rights must be protected, called on all parties to the conflict to exercise maximum restraint.