Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the International Cricket Council to suspend Afghanistan’s membership of the cricket governing body until the Taliban ends its oppression of women and girls.
In a statement on Monday, HRW said that “Since taking power, the Taliban have imposed a long and growing list of rules and policies that comprehensively prevent women and girls from exercising their fundamental rights, including to expression, movement, work and education affecting virtually all their rights, including to life, livelihood, shelter, health care, food, and water.”
The human rights organisation’s Director of Global Initiatives, Mike Worden, said the Taliban violated the cricketing body’s own Anti-Discrimination Policy for International Cricket.
On 12 January, Cricket Australia withdrew from playing the Afghan national team in protest against the Taliban’s oppression of women and girls.
HRW released its annual report on the state of human rights in Afghanistan and said that the Taliban ruled through abuse, arbitrary detentions, torture and summary executions.
In an exclusive interview with KabulNow, HRW’s acting Executive Director, Tirana Hassan, said that the Taliban must face justice for their crimes against the people of Afghanistan.
