Advertisement

Taliban crackdown on women’s rights possible crime against humanity: UN experts

Click to play video: 'Afghans feeling forgotten one year after Taliban take over'
Afghans feeling forgotten one year after Taliban take over
WATCH: Afghans feeling forgotten one year after Taliban take over – Aug 17, 2022

The Taliban’s treatment of Afghan women and girls, including their exclusion from parks and gyms as well as schools and universities, may amount to a crime against humanity, a group of UN experts said on Friday.

The assessment by the UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan Richard Bennett and nine other UN experts says the treatment of women and girls may amount to “gender persecution” under the Rome Statute to which Afghanistan is a party.

There was no immediate response from a Taliban spokesperson to a Reuters request for comment on the experts’ assessment.

“Confining women to their homes is tantamount to imprisonment,” the experts said in a statement, adding that it was likely to lead to increased levels of domestic violence and mental health problems. The experts also cited as an example the arrest earlier this month of female activist Zarifa Yaqobi and four male colleagues.

Story continues below advertisement

They remain in detention, the experts said.

Click to play video: '1 year under Taliban rule: What has changed in Afghanistan?'
1 year under Taliban rule: What has changed in Afghanistan?

The Taliban took over from a western-backed government in Aug. 2021. They say they respect women’s rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Western governments have said the Taliban needs to reverse its course on women’s rights, including a U-turn on signals they would open girls’ high schools, for any path towards formal recognition of the Taliban government.

Afghan girls attend a religious school, which remained open since the last year’s Taliban takeover, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 11. Ebrahim Noroozi/AP

Separately, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office called for the Taliban authorities to immediately halt the use of public floggings in Afghanistan.

Story continues below advertisement

Ravina Shamdasani said the office had documented numerous such incidents this month, including a woman and a man lashed 39 times each for spending time alone together outside of marriage.

Sponsored content

AdChoices