UN Rapporteur Concerned by Afghan Human Rights Situation

The UN special rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett said that the “slide” of the human rights situation has accelerated in Afghanistan.

Bennett presented his report about the human rights in Geneva.

“When I presented my initial report last September, I expressed concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan stating that ‘Afghans are trapped in a human rights crisis that the world has seemed powerless to address.’ I regret to report that subsequently the slide has accelerated,” he said.

Bennett also said that the existing restrictions on women and girls will affect the whole Afghan nation in the long term.

Speaking at the same conference, Afghanistan Ambassador at the Geneva, Nasir Ahmad Andisha, called on the world to put the issue of human rights as a condition of their engagement with the caretaker Afghan government.

“We call on all members of this council to ensure that any engagement with the Taliban is contingent up on and center around respect for human rights and fundamental freedom,” he said.

But the Islamic Emirate denied the remarks of the UN special rapporteur about the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.

“Unfortunately, the foreign organizations don’t have information about the real issues in our country and thus they rely on inaccurate information,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.

The European Union in an earlier report said that the ban on female employees working in the country has affected the humanitarian aid delivery in the country.