KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s decision to bar UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett from entering Afghanistan has sparked criticism from opposition groups and activists who argue that the regime is trying to hide its human rights abuses.
The Taliban accused Mr. Bennett of “spreading propaganda” and providing “inaccurate and misleading” information to the U.N. and the international community.
The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, a group of former Afghan political leaders in exile, called the Taliban’s decision a blatant attempt to hide their extensive human rights abuses.
In a statement on Friday, the council said Bennett has exposed the Taliban’s true nature over the past years, and now the regime seeks to prevent the suffering of the Afghan people from reaching the global community.
The Council urged the international community and the UN to facilitate Mr. Bennett’s trip to Afghanistan to document the Taliban’s crimes in the country.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front, an armed anti-Taliban group, also condemned the Taliban’s decision and expressed support for Bennett’s work in documenting the regime’s crimes.
“The widespread and severe human rights abuses are a deliberate policy of the Taliban regime, which is why they bar the U.N. Special Rapporteur from visiting Afghanistan,” the group said.
The AFF argued that the Taliban’s actions reveal their official stance on the “dire human rights situation” in the country, as they aim to prevent the world from learning about the “horrific” conditions under their “violent and oppressive” rule.
Malala Fund, founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, also condemned the Taliban’s decision as an “attack on accountability,” saying that it reflects the regime’s ongoing effort to evade accountability for its crimes in Afghanistan.
In a statement on Thursday, the Malala Fund called on UN Human Rights Council member states to renew and expand Bennett’s mandate.
“In his role, Bennett has worked to document and expose the Taliban’s extreme human rights abuses,” the charity said. “Denying Bennett access to the country is a dangerous step toward normalizing the systematic oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan,” it added.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has urged the Taliban to reconsider their decision and provide Richard Bennett with “unhindered” access to the country to report on and document the human rights situation.
In a post on X today, Peter Stano, the EU’s chief spokesperson for external affairs, stated that the EU fully supports Mr. Bennett’s mandate and work, including his assistance to the Taliban in meeting Afghanistan’s international obligations.
Mr. Bennett was appointed to this role by the UN Human Rights Council in April 2022, in response to the worsening human rights situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
Since then, in his reports and briefings to the council, he has exposed widespread human rights violations by the Taliban, particularly against women and girls, emphasizing that the regime’s actions amount to “crimes against humanity.”
Mr. Bennett says that he always acts independently and upholds the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity in his reports.
Following the Taliban’s announcement of barring him from entering Afghanistan, Bennett called the decision a “step backward” and reaffirmed his commitment to documenting and exposing human rights violations in the country.
