Key facts
- Human Rights Watch is calling for the release of eight individuals detained in Afghanistan.
- Six male staff from the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation (WCLRF) were detained on July 18.
- Two Afghan staff members of the UN's Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) were detained on Sunday.
- The detentions occurred amid concerns about the Taliban obstructing aid work and hampering donor commitment.
- The Taliban government stated they are investigating the detentions.
Human Rights Watch has called for the immediate release of two UN staffers and six NGO workers detained in Afghanistan, citing a pattern of Taliban detentions that threaten humanitarian efforts. The organization reported that six male staff from the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation (WCLRF) were forcibly disappeared from their Kabul office last month, with their families receiving no information about their whereabouts or charges.
In a separate incident, two Afghan staff members of the UN's Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) were detained by Taliban intelligence officials in Herat. The UN confirmed the detentions but stated they have not been informed of any charges and have been denied access to their staff. Human Rights Watch warned that these detentions jeopardize the UN's capacity to deliver essential aid.
The Taliban government's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, indicated that details were being gathered regarding the recent detentions. Aid groups have frequently accused the Taliban of obstructing their work, which has become particularly critical as Afghanistan relies heavily on international assistance that has been diminishing.