Geneva, A United Nations expert has issued a stark warning about the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan, emphasizing the urgent need for both the Taliban and the international community to address the ongoing abuses that are inflicting widespread suffering across the nation. This call to action highlights the critical state of human rights two and a half years into Taliban rule, with specific concern for the systematic erasure of women and girls from public life.
According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, detailed the alarming conditions in his report to the Human Rights Council. Bennett criticized the Taliban’s use of public executions, corporal punishment, and the reported extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and torture of regime opponents. He noted the particular discrimination and marginalization faced by communities such as the Hazaras.
Bennett’s findings reveal the Taliban’s harsh enforcement of dress codes for women and girls, which he describes as institutionalized, systematic, and widespread gender-based discrimination. This, he argues, constitutes gender persecution, amounting to “gender apartheid.” He plans to elaborate on this issue in a further report to the Human Rights Council session in June 2024.
The Special Rapporteur expressed deep concern over the bans on education for women and girls beyond the sixth grade and employment restrictions for women in NGOs and the United Nations. He also shed light on the perilous situation for children and the LGBTQI+ community in Afghanistan.
Highlighting the fear of arbitrary detention, Bennett pointed to the Taliban’s restrictions on Afghanistan’s civic space, including the arbitrary detention of activists and journalists. He voiced concern that some international actors might be moving toward normalization of relations with the Taliban without insisting on significant human rights improvements.
Bennett urged the international community to remain firm in requiring human rights advancements, particularly for women and girls, as a condition for normalizing relations with the Taliban. He stressed that failing to prioritize human rights in diplomatic engagements would undermine global commitments to women’s rights.
The Special Rapporteur called on the international community to unite in support of the human rights of Afghans, underscoring that sustainable peace in Afghanistan depends on a strong foundation of human rights.