GENEVA: The United Nations (UN) special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan said on Friday that the Taliban restrictions on the freedoms of girls and women could amount to a crime against humanity.
The UN experts said in a statement that during the last few months, incidents of violations of women and girls’ fundamental rights and freedoms in Afghanistan have rapidly increased.
The UN experts said that restricting women to their homes is tantamount to imprisonment. They said that could also lead to an increase in mental health challenges and incidents of domestic violence.
‘Appalled’ by Floggings
UN experts said that women human rights defenders peacefully protesting the restrictions have for months been increasingly arrested, beaten, and targeted.
UN Experts Urge Taliban to Respect Women’s Rights
They urged the Afghan Taliban to respect the fundamental rights of women. They also asked the global community to demand the restoration of women’s rights and freedoms.
Separately, the Human Rights Office of the UN said, it was “appalled” by the flogging of three women and 11 men in Afghanistan and called for an immediate ban on this punishment. – Agencies
