KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, will travel to Doha from 1 to 4 December for meetings on the country’s worsening human rights situation.
Bennett said on X that he will meet Qatari officials, international diplomats, and Afghan citizens during his four-day visit. His trip comes after the Taliban barred him from entering Afghanistan last year.
The UN Human Rights Office said in a statement that Bennett will meet regional and international actors, including Afghans living in Qatar, to discuss how states in the region and beyond can stand up for the rights of the people of Afghanistan.
“Bennett’s visit to the region reflects his ongoing efforts to build a coordinated response to the situation in Afghanistan and to discuss how an all tools approach is necessary to improve human rights for all Afghans,” the office said.
The Human Rights Council renewed Bennett’s mandate in October for another year. Since his appointment in April 2022, he has issued several reports documenting what he described as “systematic” and widespread abuses by the Taliban, including policies he labelled “gender apartheid” and “crimes against humanity.”
Afghanistan’s human rights situation has sharply worsened since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Women and girls remain excluded from secondary and higher education, most employment outside the home, and public spaces such as parks and gyms. Ethnic and religious minority communities continue to experience discrimination, intimidation, and targeted violence, according to UN assessments and rights groups.
Qatar has hosted multiple rounds of talks involving the Taliban, Afghan political stakeholders, and foreign envoys and remains a key venue for diplomatic engagement on Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s ban on Bennett’s travel has limited UN monitoring inside the country. The group has accused the rapporteur of spreading “propaganda” and providing “inaccurate” information to international institutions. Despite the ban, Bennett continues to report to and brief the Human Rights Council and other UN bodies, relying on remote consultations, testimonies from Afghans, and information gathered through regional engagement.
