RASC News Agency: Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan’s representative in Geneva, has emphasized that the human rights situation in Afghanistan will be a central topic of discussion at the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council, which begins today Monday, September 9, in Geneva, Switzerland. Andisha stated that Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, will deliver his report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan this afternoon, Geneva time. The report will address the options and processes for accountability regarding human rights violations in the country.
Since their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have systematically violated human rights, committing numerous crimes, including killings and other grave offenses. Following the report, Volker Turk, Richard Bennett, and two Afghanistani representatives will participate in a panel discussion with other Council members to deliberate on the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
Andisha also noted that the session will include the extension of Richard Bennett’s mandate as the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan. The 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to continue until October 11. This session comes as the Taliban have barred Richard Bennett from entering Afghanistan, accusing him of “propaganda” and alleging that he inflates minor issues.
In response, Bennett has affirmed his commitment to documenting human rights violations in Afghanistan. To date, he has issued three reports on the human rights situation in the country, condemning the Taliban’s treatment of Afghanistani women as “a crime against humanity.”
