RASC News Agency: Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, has described the systematic oppression of Afghanistani citizens particularly women by the Taliban as deeply alarming and a significant catalyst for escalating gender-based violence. Bennett stressed that the Taliban are systematically and methodically suppressing the people of Afghanistan, with a particular focus on women. He warned that the continuation of this situation is dangerously untenable and noted that the Taliban’s oppression has been further entrenched with the passage of their “Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law.
According to Bennett, this law regulates every aspect of the lives of Afghanistani women and girls, including their clothing, education, and participation in sports. He condemned the law as inherently discriminatory, with provisions that are not only unjust but also inhumane. Bennett remarked, “Systematic oppression and gender-based discrimination are exacerbating both physical and psychological gender-based violence, and we have documented numerous instances of such violence, including during arrests.” He further pointed to an increase in domestic violence, stigmatization, and the mental health struggles faced by victims.
He emphasized that the Taliban continue to arbitrarily target and suppress the Afghanistani populace, particularly women, with their repressive tactics intensifying on a daily basis. Bennett expressed grave concern over the ongoing situation, calling it an alarming and untenable crisis. Human rights and women’s rights advocates have previously described the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls as a form of gender apartheid, demanding that these policies be recognized as crimes against humanity.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, the group has detained hundreds of Afghanistani citizens, arbitrarily accusing them of various offenses, with many being imprisoned in Taliban-run facilities. According to their own reports, nearly 16,000 Afghanistani citizens are currently incarcerated under the Taliban’s regime.
