Taliban release two detained UN staff members in Afghanistan

What the report says

The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have released two United Nations staff members who were detained in the western city of Herat on August 9, according to Al Jazeera citing the UN mission in the country, UNAMA. The men were freed on Thursday morning and were said to be in good health. The reason for their detention has not been publicly explained.

UNAMA said it had not been formally told why the two were arrested and detained, though it understood that any charges had been dropped. The mission said it was continuing to press the Taliban-led authorities on the case and on broader protections for UN personnel, including their privileges, immunities and freedom of movement across Afghanistan. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at UN headquarters in New York that the organization was pleased the men had been released and faced no apparent legal issues.

The case comes amid wider concern about detentions in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Al Jazeera reported that Human Rights Watch recently said several staff members of a local group working on women’s and children’s rights had been forcibly disappeared for more than a month. The UN also continues to operate in Afghanistan in humanitarian, health and development roles, while the country faces aid cuts, the return of large numbers of people from neighboring states, and ongoing restrictions on women and girls since the Taliban took power in 2021.