COMMON ANALYSIS
Last update: January 2023

This profile includes individuals perceived as members or supporters of the NRF.

With reference to NRF as a potential actor of persecution or serious harm, see National Resistance Front (NRF), section 2.3.1. of this common analysis.

COI Summary

It has been reported that the Taliban perceived ethnic Tajiks, especially those originating from Panjshir, as potential supporters of the NRF. Killing of civilians has also taken place in adjacent Tajik-dominated areas in Baghlan and Takhar. There is also a higher level of perceived threat towards Panjshiris in Kabul, as Taliban forces had engaged in the beating and arbitrary arrests of civilians in Panjshir who were accused of supporting the NRF [Targeting 2022, 6.5.2, pp. 146-148].

Human Rights Watch concluded that this amounted to collective punishment. According to a representative of an international NGO in Kabul, the purpose of the Taliban’s actions was to intimidate the local population so that they would not support the NRF. In June 2022, there were news reports about the forced evictions of residents in certain districts of Baghlan province. Freedom House also noted in their annual report on political rights and civil liberties in 2021, that the Taliban have engaged in discrimination against members of ethnic minority groups, including Tajiks [Targeting 2022, 6.5.2, pp. 146-147]. 

UNAMA also recorded human rights violations of individuals suspected or accused of NRF affiliation. Between 15 August 2021 and 15 June 2022, UNAMA recorded 18 extrajudicial killings, 54 instances of torture and ill-treatment, 113 arbitrary arrests and detentions, and 23 incommunicado detentions. The majority of these cases took place in the provinces of Panjshir or Baghlan, where the NRF is known to be the most active. The same source recorded arbitrary arrests of large groups of civilians in these areas related to accusations of supporting NRF, which were carried out by the Taliban. Furthermore, UNAMA noted an increase in reported extrajudicial killings of individuals accused of affiliation with the NRF in the first half of 2022 [Targeting 2022, 6.5.2, p. 147]. In May 2022, Human Rights Watch also received a growing number of reports of reprisal killings and attacks by the Taliban on civilians in areas associated with resistance groups such as the NRF. Detentions of civilians apparently accused of supporting the NRF have also been reported [Targeting 2022, 6.5.2, p. 146].

Extra-judicial killings of alleged NRF members, including prisoners of war, by the Taliban were also reported in September and October 2022 [COI Update 2022, 3, p. 6].

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan stated on 6 September 2022 that the conflict between the Taliban and NRF had caused significant suffering and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. He especially pointed out Panjshir Province and Andarab District (Baghlan Province) from where he had received reports of civilians being subjected to arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings and torture, which sometimes appeared to be collective punishments. Following a visit to Afghanistan in October 2022, the UN Special Rapporteur stated that communities in inter alia Panjsher Province were being ‘heavily suppressed’ and that civilians considered to be associated with the NRF were subjected to house searches, arbitrary arrests, detentions, extrajudicial killings, torture, displacement and an information blackout [COI Update 2022, p. 7].

See also the profile Members of the security institutions of the former government, section 3.1 of this common analysis.

Risk analysis

Acts reported to be committed against individuals under this profile are of such severe nature that they amount to persecution (e.g. abduction, collective punishments, torture, execution).

For individuals perceived by the Taliban as being involved with or as supporting NRF well-founded fear of persecution would in general be substantiated. The individual assessment whether the applicant would be perceived to have such affiliation could take into account their place of origin and ethnic background, with Tajiks from Panjshir and Andarab District (Baghlan Province), being particularly at risk.

Nexus to a reason for persecution

Available information indicates that persecution of this profile is highly likely to be for reasons of (imputed) political opinion.