Human Lives Human Rights: In a deliberate targeted attack, Taliban killed six Hazara people, the ethnic minority group in Afghanistan’s Ghor province.
On 26 June 2022, the Taliban detained and unlawfully executed four men during a night raid operation in search of a former security official.
The body of at least one of those executed showed signs of torture. A woman and a 12-year-old girl were also killed during the raid.
The attack is part of a wider pattern of unlawful targeted killings of people whom the Taliban perceives as adversaries, in this case being both members of the Hazara community and those who were associated with the former Afghan government.
These violent deaths are further shocking proof that the Taliban continue to persecute, torture and extrajudicially execute Hazara people.
The Rights groups call on the Taliban to immediately end this cruel pattern of targeted killings and, as the de facto authorities, ensure the protection of all Afghans.
These killings must be investigated and ensured that those responsible are prosecuted in accordance with international human rights obligations and standards.
If the de facto authorities cannot provide justice, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court should immediately open full investigations into all cases of extrajudicial executions.
Despite publicly promising not to target former government officials, the Taliban have still not investigated or prosecuted anyone for the killings.
