Reaction of UNAMA to Taliban’s New Law: People Do Not Deserve to be Threatened or Imprisoned
Bayan News – Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), has reacted to the approval of the law on Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice by the Taliban, stating that this law grants extensive enforcement powers to the moral enforcers.
On Sunday (August 25), UNAMA released a statement from the head of the organization. Otunbayeva noted in this statement: “This troubling perspective for the future of Afghanistan, where moral enforcers have unlimited authority to threaten and detain individuals based on extensive and often vague lists of offenses, is alarming.”
Otunbayeva further emphasized that the UN representation in Afghanistan is concerned that the implementation of this law will impose broad restrictions on personal behavior and grant extensive enforcement powers to these enforcers.
She stated: “This issue expands the unbearable restrictions currently placed on the rights of Afghan women and girls, where even a woman’s voice outside the home is seemingly considered a moral violation.”
The head of UNAMA also clearly expressed: “After decades of war and amidst a horrific humanitarian crisis, the people of Afghanistan do not deserve to be threatened or imprisoned for reasons such as arriving late to prayer, looking at a member of the opposite sex who is not a family member, or having a photo of a loved one.”
The special representative of the UN Secretary-General further stated: “The international community is genuinely seeking constructive engagement with the ruling authorities. The world wants to see Afghanistan on a path toward peace and prosperity, where all Afghans have a share in their future, are recognized as citizens with rights, rather than merely being subjected to discipline. Further restricting the rights of the people of Afghanistan and keeping them in a state of constant fear will make achieving this goal more difficult.”
Meanwhile, UNAMA is studying the newly approved law and its implications for the people of Afghanistan, as well as its potential impact on the United Nations and other vital humanitarian assistance for the country. They are seeking clarification from the authorities regarding several provisions and implementation plans.
