VANCOUVER, CANADA – Amnesty International expressed alarm over the lack of action to hold the Taliban accountable for their systematic violations against women, which may constitute crimes against humanity of gender persecution.
On Tuesday, June 18, Amnesty International welcomed the report by Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, and called for further actions from the UN Human Rights Council to hold the Taliban accountable.
Amnesty International stressed the need for a coordinated international approach to urgently address the institutionalized discrimination and disrespect for the human dignity of Afghanistan women and girls under Taliban rule.
Richard Bennett presented his report at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council, highlighting that Afghan women are demanding recognition of gender apartheid. Bennett described the violence against women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban as “very severe and widespread,” concluding that this violence might amount to crimes against humanity, including gender-based persecution.
Given the Taliban’s role in potential crimes against humanity, Amnesty International urged the UN Human Rights Council to take further actions to ensure accountability. The organization noted that over a thousand days have passed since two million girls were deprived of education. Additionally, dozens of female protesters have disappeared, been arbitrarily detained, and tortured.
Amnesty International highlighted that women and girls in Afghanistan are facing serious mental health conditions and an economic crisis. The organization also noted that extrajudicial killings, torture, public corporal punishment, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and suppression of media activists, journalists, and human rights defenders are among the grave human rights violations committed by the Taliban.
Attacks by ISIS on Shias and Hazaras were also cited as human rights violations in Afghanistan. Amnesty International added that Afghanistan has a history of impunity for crimes committed by the Taliban and other parties in various conflicts, both past and present.
The statement from Amnesty International expressed grave concern over the lack of a dedicated international mechanism for collecting and preserving evidence of serious human rights violations in Afghanistan. Amnesty International called on the Human Rights Council to establish an institution for collecting and preserving evidence.