The Islamic Emirate’s security forces in Panjshir province have "tortured" and "unlawfully detained civilians," Human Rights Watch said Friday.

"Taliban security forces in northern Afghanistan's Panjshir province have unlawfully detained and tortured residents accused of association with an opposition armed group," said Human Rights Watch.

The report said that security forces detain residents and beat them to glean information about the opposition group, which is "collective punishment."

“Taliban forces in Panjshir province have quickly resorted to beating civilians in their response to fighting against the opposition National Resistance Front. The Taliban’s longstanding failure to punish those responsible for serious abuses in their ranks puts more civilians at risk,” said Patricia Gossman, Associate Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.

“These violations are against human rights conventions and separate people from the government,” said Aziz Stanekzai, Former Afghan Military.

However, the Islamic Emirate called the report unfounded.

“The allegations of torture and harassment are far from the truth and did not happen in Panjshir province,” said Abobakr Sediq, spokesman for Panjshir’s governor.

Based on the report, a human rights advocate who interviewed several former detainees and a source with direct information about Islamic Emirate detentions spoke to Human Rights Watch about the Panjshir situation.