RASC News Agency: The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights has reported that Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic communities, particularly the Hazara population, are enduring targeted violence and systematic marginalization under Taliban governance. Richard Bennett highlighted that the Hazaras face a dual threat: violent assaults from ISIS and pervasive discrimination and exclusion across multiple spheres of life imposed by the Taliban.
Speaking on Friday, November 1, during a session of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York, Bennett expressed grave concern over the deteriorating conditions for ethnic minorities and religious communities in Afghanistan. According to Bennett, the Hazaras predominantly Shia Muslims are subjected to unjust restrictions, particularly when observing their religious rites, such as during the sacred month of Muharram.
Bennett emphasized that the Taliban regime actively suppresses Shia Muslims, denying them the freedom to conduct their religious ceremonies fully and without interference. The Special Rapporteur called for immediate accountability and effective protective measures to curb the violence and discrimination inflicted upon the Hazara population and other religious minorities. In his latest report on Afghanistan’s human rights landscape, Bennett documented a litany of abuses, including targeted violence against ethnic and religious minorities and incidents of “sexual assault and harassment” directed at women in Taliban-controlled detention facilities.
Bennett criticized the international community’s passive response to the crisis in Afghanistan, suggesting that more resolute actions could compel the Taliban to respect the rights of all individuals and ethnic groups. Previously, Bennett had condemned the global response to Afghanistan’s plight, noting the absence of a coherent and actionable policy towards the country a stance he described as deeply concerning.
He urged the swift implementation of recommendations from the “Independent Assessment of Afghanistan” and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions to address the pressing human rights violations.
