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Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Afghanistan: UK embassy staff allege Taliban beating, torturing them

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More than 100 men who worked at the British embassy in Afghanistan remain in the country, with some telling the BBC they have been beaten and tortured.

The men worked for the global security company, GardaWorld, and many had been in post for more than a decade.

Several shared photos of injuries they say were caused by the Taliban.

The UK government says it has evacuated more than 15,000 people since last year and is working to bring more to the UK.

A spreadsheet listing the names of more than 150 men who worked at the embassy and still live in the country has been seen and verified by BBC Two’s Newsnight.

One man, who cannot be named to protect his identity, said he was recently beaten by the Taliban because of his previous job as a guard at the UK Embassy.

“I was sitting outside when gunmen approached me, one of [them] attacked me,” he said.

“They said you were working for the British embassy. They started beating me and they threw me on the ground. They attacked me again and again.”

Another former guard said a militant hit him over the head with the butt of a rifle. He says he was only released after the Taliban was convinced he no longer worked for the British.

This week, the UK government said the men would be able to apply to come to the UK from 20 June as part of its Afghan citizens resettlement scheme (ACRS), which is primarily targeted at those who assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan.

It was officially launched in January but application requests can only be submitted from next week. Critics say that is too little, too late.

A separate government scheme, the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), aimed to relocate those who were employed directly by the British government, including interpreters who helped British forces.

One Afghan who came to the UK earlier this year under ARAP said many of his former colleagues from the embassy were being threatened on a daily basis. He is not being named to protect his family who remains in Afghanistan.

“I feel like the British have been disloyal,” he said. “They made a promise – these men worked hard for them and now their lives are at risk.

“I can’t sleep or eat without thinking of what they’re going through. They message me constantly asking for help”.

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