Bint: The international community should condition the normalization of its relations with the Taliban on the respect for human rights
Bayan News – Richard Bint, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council, presented his report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan at the fifty-fifth session of the Council held in Geneva on Friday, February 29.
In his report, Bint added that the normalization of the international community’s relations with the Taliban should be contingent upon the respect for human rights, and at the same time, the Taliban should take human rights seriously.
Bint’s report expressed deep concern over the restrictions on girls’ education, women’s employment, detentions, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in Afghanistan.
Emphasizing that the violation of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan is increasing, he stressed that respect for human rights will be the cornerstone of lasting and sustainable peace.
Bint urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to prioritize the human rights situation in Afghanistan, as it is an agreement among the participants of this Council.
The Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council also stated in his speech that he is in regular contact with Afghans and that measurable, identifiable, and tangible improvements in human rights should take place before Afghanistan returns to the international community.
He said, “I call for efforts to address issues such as attacks on religious and ethnic minorities, discrimination based on gender, through the judicial systems of member countries. I hope that in addition to the International Court of Justice, other networks will also be used to combat any form of violence against women, and we know that failing to act on women’s rights at the International Court of Justice is a request that has been submitted, and I encourage everyone to address this channel as well.”
The rapporteur also reiterated that there is evidence that women are being oppressed based on their gender, and this is considered a violation and contradiction of the Rome Charter.
Bint added, “It is necessary to hold the Taliban accountable for their policies, and it is even more important for member countries to find ways to support women, girls, boys, and men so that the necessary changes are made for them to access their rights.”
Meanwhile, representatives of several other countries in the United Nations Human Rights Council, including Iran, Indonesia, the United States, and Germany, called for the respect for the human rights of the Afghan people, especially women, by the Taliban.
The representative of the United States in this Council stated that the Taliban must put an end to the violation of human rights in Afghanistan, and the international community should remain united in addressing this issue.
The US representative also criticized the executions and public floggings carried out by the Taliban.
Similarly, the representative of Germany in the Human Rights Council also criticized the ongoing human rights situation in Afghanistan and stated in his speech that the Taliban’s human rights violations are unprecedented at the global level.
According to the German representative, the Taliban has resorted to public punishment of Afghan citizens, returning to the policy of flogging and execution in public view.
Meanwhile, the officials of the Taliban caretaker government, referring to the human rights situation of the Palestinian people, say that human rights are being abused.
Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on the X platform that Richard Bint and Western countries should put an end to the abuse of human rights and support the human rights of the Palestinian people and prevent injustice by Israel against them.
