RASC News Agency: United Nations experts have issued a statement emphasizing the rapid deterioration of human rights in Afghanistan, underscoring the urgent need for robust and effective international intervention. The report advocates for initiating legal proceedings against the Taliban at the International Court of Justice. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, along with 29 other distinguished UN experts, released a joint statement supporting efforts to bring the Taliban before the International Court of Justice.
On Thursday, August 15, marking the third anniversary of the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, Bennett shared this statement on his “X” account, asserting, “Three years after the Taliban seized power, the international community must not normalize its engagement with the de facto authorities and their appalling violations of human rights in Afghanistan.” He further emphasized that any engagement with the Taliban is untenable, as this group has systematically dismantled human rights, particularly those of women.
The statement also highlighted that Richard Bennett and the 29 other UN experts support initiating legal action against the Taliban in the International Court of Justice “for violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and other relevant legal instruments.” The UN experts reiterated that the human rights situation in Afghanistan continues to worsen, demanding immediate, strong, and effective international measures.
The experts further noted that the Taliban have been relentlessly suppressing their opponents, civil society, and the media. The statement also reported that since the Taliban’s ascendancy to power, they have issued over 80 decrees aimed specifically at undermining the rights of women and girls. In the meantime, a quarterly report from the United Nations reveals that in the past three years, 1,182 civilians have been killed and 2,904 others injured in Afghanistan.
Additionally, during the same period, the UN has documented 15,865 security incidents across the country.
