An Afghan media outlet and international monitoring organizations have reported that Taliban authorities systematically targeted former Afghan military personnel across the country throughout 2025, raising serious concerns over human rights violations.
According to an investigation by Hasht-e Subh and findings cited by international organizations, at least 123 former members of Afghanistan’s security forces were killed in 29 provinces during the year.
In addition, 131 former military personnel were arrested across 20 provinces and subjected to severe physical abuse while in custody.
The report states that detainees were tortured using electric shocks, beaten with steel cables, and subjected to burns with heated metal tools.
Many of the arrests were carried out without arrest warrants or any form of judicial process, pointing to the absence of legal safeguards under Taliban rule.
Families of the victims told the publication that Taliban officials warned them against speaking to the media or human rights groups, threatening retaliation if they disclosed information.
Due to these threats, many cases reportedly remained undocumented and never reached the public domain.
The report describes the pattern of killings, arbitrary detentions, and torture as a clear violation of international human rights standards and previous Taliban assurances of amnesty for former government and military personnel.
Human rights observers have called for urgent international attention, warning that the continued targeting of former soldiers reflects a broader climate of fear and repression.
They have urged global institutions to independently investigate the allegations and hold those responsible accountable, stressing that silence and inaction risk further abuses against vulnerable groups in Afghanistan.
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