Ahead of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s meeting on Afghanistan, a group of women in the country have urged the council to apply greater and “more effective” pressure on the Taliban.
In an open letter, shared with KabulNow on Sunday, the women says pressures on the Taliban should involve “travel bans, non-interaction and sanctions.”
The letter read: “The repressive, dictatorial, and terrorist regime of the Taliban have committed all kinds of human crimes in the last two years. Gender apartheid, war crime, crime against humanity, and genocide are the daily work of this group in Afghanistan.
“The Taliban are involved in crimes against humanity from the top to the bottom, dividing them into moderate and extremist by some organisations and circles should not be considered as a credit to the organisation.
“The United Nations should not violate the charter and the values based on it in the interaction with the Taliban. To the extent that the world falls short in front of this group, the human condition and the application of restrictions will become worse and more ugly.”
The women calls on the council to stand in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan and act based on human rights values, the UN charter, and other conventions that cover the discrimination and systematic exclusion of women. They also called for increased and effective pressure on the Taliban.
They further urge the council to facilitate the opportunity for the International Criminal Courts to investigate the Taliban’s crimes against humanity.
The women express their support for Richard Bennett’s new report on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and request continuous follow-ups and deeper truth-finding in this regard.
Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, highlighted in his latest report that the Taliban has imposed over 50 restrictive edicts targeting Afghan women and girls, depriving them of the right to education, work, and social and political participation.
The report is expected to be presented at the 53rd session of the council, taking place on Monday in Geneva.
