Kabul, Oct 10 (EFE).- The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Thursday raised concerns about prison conditions in Afghanistan, and urged the Taliban government to ensure the basic rights of prisoners.
UNAMA chief Roza Otunbayeva discussed the issue with the Taliban’s director of prisons, Sahib Mistry, during a meeting in Kabul, the UN mission said in a statement.
“Otunbayeva (…) raised multiple concerns, including the absence of adequate legal aid services for vulnerable prisoners, especially women, (and) the need for greater professionalization of the prison service so that the basic rights of prisoners are better protected,” UNAMA said.
Otunbayeva also highlighted other challenges “including the high volume of arrests and lengthy custodial sentences imposed by the de facto judicial authorities,” which put “unsustainable pressure” on prisons.
“Otunbayeva was informed that the prison population was increasing, with more detainees admitted daily than are released,” the mission added.
UNAMA said that Afghan prisons house an increasing number of inmates, like the sprawling Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul, which is holding over 5,000 inmates.
The UN envoy has also met with several female prisoners, listening to their problems they face in prisons.
“More needs to be done to uphold detainee rights in the justice system, including legal assistance, prompt trials, and alternatives to imprisonment. We must also focus efforts on tackling the root causes of over-incarceration,” she added.
However, the UN mission reported that the Taliban government committed to continuing cooperation towards “improving the conditions for detainees,” and to allow UNAMA access to prison facilities.
“Human rights monitoring and reporting is an essential part of our Security Council-mandated work in Afghanistan,” Otunbayeva said.
“All prisoners have fundamental rights and we have a common interest to ensure that those rights are respected to the fullest extent,” she added.
During the meeting, the Taliban officials requested greater UN assistance for prisoners in areas such as healthcare, nutrition, education, and vocational training.
Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, they have enforced stricter interpretations of Sharia law, leading to a significant rise in arbitrary detentions for those failing to comply with their regulations.
UNAMA has previously denounced reports of torture by Taliban security forces in Afghan prisons. EFE
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