“Human rights in Afghanistan are in a state of collapse,” he told the Human Rights Council, before raising the alarm over continued reports of extrajudicial killings, torture and ill-treatment and arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as serious violations against the former government. officials, as documented in a new report from the Human Rights Office (OHCHR).
“All this is compounded by a deeply disturbing lack of accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses,” he said.
Women lost weight
We emphasize the “devastating precedent” set by Afghanistan as the only country in the world where women and girls are denied access to secondary and higher education. Mr Türk underlined the “long list of misogynistic restrictions” that confine the country’s women “to the four walls of their homes”, before asking: “What can happen next?”
The High Commissioner emphasized that any prospect of a stable, prosperous Afghanistan depends on the participation of men and women.
“Denying women and girls the rights to participate in daily and public life not only denies them their human rights, but also denies Afghanistan the benefit of the contributions they have to offer,” he said.
Constitution on hold
Mr Türk said the suspension of Afghanistan’s constitution and laws protecting women from violence or guaranteeing media freedom, as well as the dissolution of the country’s Independent Human Rights Commission, were elements of the “systematic erosion of the institutions that ever provided any security.” protection of human rights”.
The High Commissioner called on de facto authorities to “change course” and return Afghanistan to the international community, with full respect for its international human rights obligations.
He urged that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) will continue to monitor and report on the situation, and “raise individual cases and insist on compliance with international law by de facto authorities” in the greatest possible extent.
Mr Türk paid tribute to the work of his human rights colleagues on the ground, in particular female Afghan staff.
He also urged the international community not to “turn its back on Afghanistan” at a time when rights are being eroded and two-thirds of the population needs aid, while humanitarian operations are hampered by the ban on women working for the UN . and NGOs.
‘Feel betrayed’
Mr Türk’s comments came a day after the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, gave a somber update to the Council.
Many Afghans living abroad “say they feel ‘betrayed’ by the international community,” the Special Rapporteur explains. They are calling for concrete action and some have even started a hunger strike “calling for recognition of gender apartheid”.
In June, Mr Bennett had said that since systematic and institutionalized discrimination against women and girls is at the core of the Taliban’s ideology and rule, Afghanistan’s de facto authorities “may be responsible for gender apartheid”, which is admittedly “still is not an explicit international crime.” ”, required “further study”.
Oppression of minorities
Mr Bennett also briefed the Council on Monday on the “collapse of civil space” and “the absence of the rule of law” since the Taliban took power, the long-term effects on children’s development and mental health, and the oppression and lack of representation of minorities such as Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks and Turkmens.
“I worry about the effect [that the] A strong sense of discrimination and exclusion among large parts of the population could negatively impact the stability of Afghanistan,” he said.
Special Rapporteurs are not UN staff and are independent of any government or organization. They perform their work on an individual basis and do not receive a salary for their work.