UN Rapporteur Urges Accountability for Taliban's Human Rights Violations in Afghanistan

UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett has called on the UN Human Rights Council to hold the Taliban responsible for the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan. According to a report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) covering the period from January to March 2024, the country continues to face ongoing restrictions on women's education, media freedom, and threats to former government officials, despite some improvements.

The UNAMA report highlights that the new school year in Afghanistan began in April without the presence of Afghan girls in high schools. Women journalists were specifically instructed not to be present at a ceremony marking the start of the academic year. While the enforcement of the hijab mandate decreased after January 2024, threats to former government officials and security forces members, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings, continued to be reported.

The situation for women and girls in Afghanistan has been described as 'gender apartheid' by human rights groups, with the Taliban passing laws to stone and execute women in public for adultery. The decimation of Afghanistan's media industry has led to Afghan journalists like Zahra Joya being scattered around the globe, continuing to report on the situation in their homeland from exile. Joya's family has been threatened, and her team faces increasing risks, but she remains determined to shine a light on the injustice faced by women and girls in Afghanistan.

Why this matters: The ongoing human rights violations in Afghanistan under Taliban rule have far-reaching consequences for the country's population, particularly women and girls. The international community's response to the situation will be crucial in ensuring accountability and protecting the rights of vulnerable groups in Afghanistan.

The Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, dismissed the UNAMA report as "baseless" and "propaganda". However, the UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett urged the UN Human Rights Council to hold the Taliban accountable for the human rights situation in the country. Bennett emphasized the need for the international community to insist on significant improvements in human rights by the Taliban, stating that "human rights should be the agenda itself".

Key Takeaways

• UN Rapporteur calls for Taliban accountability over Afghan rights abuses.
• Afghan girls barred from high schools, women journalists banned from events.
• Threats, arrests, and killings of former govt officials and security forces.
• Afghan media decimated, journalists like Zahra Joya report from exile.
• UN urges significant human rights improvements by Taliban, accountability.