UN warns of grave violations under Taliban

In his first report to the Human Rights Council, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett catalogues human rights abuses under the Taliban since it seized control of the country in August 2021, including a severe rollback of the rights of women and girls, reprisals targeting opponents and critics, attacks on minorities including Hazara-Shia and the clampdown on the media.

Bennett expressed grave concern about the staggering regression in women and girls’ enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the suspension of secondary school education for girls.

Bennett’s report said that there had been systematic attacks against the civilian population, including revenge killings of former government officials.

Bennett said journalistic independence and freedom of expression in Afghanistan were significantly curtailed and access to information has become increasingly challenging.

Bennett warned that since the Taliban takeover, the independence of the judicial system had been compromised and local human rights monitoring mechanisms dismantled, with the abolition of the independent Human Rights Commission being a particular concern.

He urged the Taliban to acknowledge and address human rights abuses and violations by respecting the human rights of women and girls, as well as children and other groups of concern, being more inclusive of diversity and tolerant of different perspectives, and restoring the rule of law, including oversight institutions.