RASC News Agency: Human Rights Watch has called upon French Prime Minister Michel Barnier to join the global initiative to bring the Taliban before the International Court of Justice, aiming to hold the group accountable for its violations of women’s rights in Afghanistan. In an official letter to Prime Minister Barnier, Human Rights Watch emphasized the critical role that France’s support would play in amplifying international pressure on the Taliban. The organization highlighted the need for a united stance to compel the Taliban to respect the rights of Afghanistani women, stressing that Paris’s endorsement could provide significant momentum to the movement.
The letter urges Barnier to advocate within the United Nations Human Rights Council for targeted actions that would address the Taliban’s systematic oppression of women and girls. Human Rights Watch criticized global governments and international institutions for failing to implement meaningful measures to counter the Taliban’s acts of violence and human rights abuses. The organization noted that the world has yet to respond adequately to the plight of Afghanistani women, allowing the Taliban to continue imposing repressive policies unchecked. This lack of action has emboldened the Taliban to persist with harsh measures that flagrantly infringe upon women’s rights. The United Nations Women’s Division has similarly condemned what it calls the “unrelenting oppression of Afghanistani women under Taliban rule.”
The letter also addresses other pressing human rights crises worldwide, underscoring that Afghanistan is currently experiencing one of the most severe women’s rights violations globally. It highlights that the Taliban’s actions constitute a deliberate and systematic denial of women’s rights. Yet, global governments and institutions have thus far failed to respond with the decisive action required to ensure accountability.
Despite previous calls from human rights organizations urging the Taliban to end their severe restrictions on women’s lives, the group has continued its policies unimpeded.
