Human rights activists call on UN to investigate crimes attributed to Taliban

Human rights groups as well as the ousted Afghan government on Monday, October 25, called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to launch an investigation into targeted killings in Afghanistan and the Taliban's efforts to restrict women and freedom of expression.

This request comes as the European Union seeks to adopt a resolution on Afghanistan.

The UN Human Rights Council held an emergency session last month following the Taliban's rise to power and takeover of Kabul, but activists say the resolution, which was backed by Pakistan, was too weak. It called on UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan at future sessions.

Ms. Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council on August 12 that the Taliban had violated its obligations by issuing orders to women that confined them to their homes and by conducting house-to-house searches for dissenters.

A draft EU resolution, which was also reviewed by members at Monday's meeting, condemns executions in Afghanistan and violence against protesters and the media. If adopted, a special rapporteur for Afghanistan would be appointed.

Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan's ambassador to the United Nations, told the organization's Human Rights Council in Geneva: "We call on the council members to adopt a resolution in this meeting, in accordance with the council's mandate, and as a result, establish an effective mechanism to monitor the human rights situation in Afghanistan."

Human rights activists say that assigning a rapporteur on the conditions in Afghanistan is not enough.

Agnes Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International, who was previously the UN rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, emphasized that monitoring the human rights situation in Afghanistan is now of utmost importance.

"Preserving evidence and documents is vital in that it sends a clear message to the Taliban that international crimes will not go unnoticed and will not go unpunished," he said.

Shahrzad Akbar, the head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission who has fled the country, said at the meeting that the Taliban have carried out targeted killings and that their victims are former national security forces or even ordinary people.

"They are creating an atmosphere of fear and terror for everyone, including human rights defenders, women's rights activists and journalists who still remain in the country. We also have reports of extrajudicial executions of detainees," he added.

Senior Taliban officials have officially announced the return of amputation and executions. Recently, the hanging of the bodies of four people accused of kidnapping at crossroads in Herat city made headlines.

Source: Radio Farda