Panjshir valley by the Taliban.162 Sources interviewed by Amnesty International have confirmed reports that the Taliban have discontinued electricity supply and essential supplies to the region,163 which hosts a population of around 170,000 people.164 Cutting off essential supplies to civilians165 is a serious violation of international humanitarian law (IHL) and a war crime. These incidents if proved, would amount to war crimes, and other serious violations and abuses of international human rights law, and must be investigated. Those reasonably suspected of criminal responsibility must be brought to justice through fair trials without recourse to the death penalty. Reports have also emerged of forced displacement of people in Panjshir- Vatan today, an online news portal in Afghanistan shared a video of people travelling along a mountain road, vehicles packed with items, and the caption states “Forced and mass migration of Panjshir people!”.166 The man speaking in the video says that he and others were forced to leave Panjshir.167 A video shared by BBC Persian shows armed fighters, allegedly Taliban, shooting an unarmed man in semi-military clothing on the side of a road in Panjshir- allegations which the Taliban have denied.168 In the same video, another civilian appears to be arrested by the Taliban, and is heard begging to be released, saying he is a civilian. According to BBC, Abdul Haq Vasiq, a spokesperson for the Taliban, has denied targeting civilians.169 The BBC has established the Taliban killings of civilians in the Panjshir valley and found that at least 20 civilians were killed recently.170 While it is not established whether the man wearing military gear was a surrendered soldier, the military trousers and boots suggest he may have been a former combatant. The male depicted in the video is wearing military fatigues consistent with widely circulated media pictures of ANDF combatants. All persons taking no active part in hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and surrendered, are protected persons under international humanitarian law.171 They must be treated humanely and “violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture” is a serious violation of IHL and a war crime.172 The Taliban must put an end to crimes under international law and remove from its ranks those responsible for committing these crimes. Those reasonably suspected of criminal responsibility must be brought to justice through fair trials without recourse to the death penalty. NDTV. 24 August 2021. “Taliban Have Stopped Food, Andarab Valley Situation Dire: Amrullah Saleh”. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/taliban-notallowing-food-fuel-to-get-into-andarab-valley-amrullah-saleh-2517095. Hindustan Times. 3 September 2021. “Panjshir: Taliban cuts electricity, medicine supply; Karzai for end to fighting”. https://www.hindustantimes.com/videos/world-news/panjshir-taliban-cuts-electricity-medicine-supply-karzai-for-end-tofighting-101630684113814.html. 162 Hindustan Times. 3 September 2021. “Panjshir: Taliban cuts electricity, medicine supply; Karzai for end to fighting”. https://www.hindustantimes.com/videos/world-news/panjshir-taliban-cuts-electricity-medicine-supply-karzai-for-end-to-fighting-101630684113814.html. NDTV. 24 August 2021. “Taliban Have Stopped Food, Andarab Valley Situation Dire: Amrullah Saleh”. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/taliban-notallowing-food-fuel-to-get-into-andarab-valley-amrullah-saleh-2517095. 163 164 European Asylum Support Office. Country Guidance Afghanistan. https://easo.europa.eu/country-guidance-afghanistan-2020/panjshir. ICRC, Customary International Humanitarian Law: Volume 1: Rules, rule 55. Starvation as a method of warfare would also constitute a war crime, see ICRC, Customary International Humanitarian Law: Volume 1: Rules, rule 53. 165 166 Tweet. Vatan Today. @vatantoday. 10 September 2021. 6:48 PM. https://mobile.twitter.com/vatantoday/status/1436318143157317667. Tweet. Natiq Malikzada. @natiqmalikzada. 12:06 PM. https://twitter.com/natiqmalikzada/status/1436217054672064516. See also Instagram. BBC Persian. 10 September 2021. https://www.instagram.com/p/CTpNBShokyh/?utm_medium=copy_link. 167 Instagram. BBC Persian. 12 September 2021. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CTr8tooo_SH/?utm_medium=copy_link. See also Instagram. BBC Persian. 12 September 2021. https://www.instagram.com/p/CTsTpfKInS4/. and Facebook. Asar Hakimi. 10 September 2021. https://www.facebook.com/1136554729/posts/10220296521459963/?d=n. Tweet. Sami Mahdi. @Samiullah_mahdi. https://twitter.com/Samiullah_mahdi/status/1436612543838052356. 168 169 Instagram. BBC Persian. 12 September 2021. https://www.instagram.com/p/CTsTpfKInS4/. 170 BBC News. 12 September 2021. “Afghanistan crisis: Taliban kill civilians in resistance stronghold”. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58545892. 171 See for example article 3 common to the four Geneva Conventions of 12 and article 8 (2) (C) of the Rome Statute. 172 See for example article 3 common to the four Geneva Conventions of 12 and article 8 (2) (C) of the Rome Statute. THE FATE OF THOUSANDS HANGING IN THE BALANCE: AFGHANISTAN’S FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE TALIBAN Amnesty International 20