ISLAMABAD: In a damning revelation, the United Nations (UN) has brought to light the arbitrary arrests and detentions carried out by Taliban authorities in Afghanistan where suspected opposition forces and journalists are being targeted, amplifying concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation.
Taliban’s tightening grip on power has resulted in increasingly restricted access to work and education for women.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) meticulously documented these alleged human rights violations in a recently published report, which delves into the developments observed during the months of May and June. However, the Taliban’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, promptly dismissed the findings, declaring them as “false information” propagated by loyalists of the former Afghan government, according to VoA.
According to the UNAMA report, numerous instances were recorded where the Taliban enforced previously announced limitations on women’s freedom of movement and employment opportunities. Notably, a directive from the Taliban Ministry of Public Health in early May stipulated that only males could take exams and pursue specialized medical studies, effectively barring women from such opportunities.
The Taliban’s regressive stance on women’s education is deeply concerning. Teenage girls have been banned from attending schools beyond the sixth grade, while female students have been barred from attending university classes since December of last year. In one particular incident described in the report, two Afghan female staff members of an international non-governmental organization were arrested by de facto police at an airport on May 1 for travelling without a mahram (male guardian).
The UNAMA report also highlighted a distressing incident that occurred in June when the Taliban’s intelligence service detained a midwife and subjected her to a five-hour interrogation. The midwife was subsequently threatened with death if she persisted in her work with a non-governmental organization. As a result, she resigned just two days later, clearly illustrating the grave risks faced by those who dare to challenge the Taliban’s oppressive regime.
The consequences of these severe restrictions on Afghan women working with the United Nations are far-reaching. The report emphasizes that the organization’s work has been significantly impeded, with the majority of Afghan UNAMA staff, both women and men, forced to work remotely since April 5, 2023, in order to prevent discriminatory treatment in the workplace.
Adding to the distressing situation, the Taliban has enacted a series of bans, preventing women from visiting public parks, gyms, and public bathhouses. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has recently issued an order mandating the closure of hundreds of female-run beauty parlours across the country within a month. The Taliban alleges that these establishments provide services that contravene the principles of Shariah, or Islamic law.
UN report a wake-up call
The United Nations report serves as an alarming wake-up call, shedding light on the Taliban’s systematic violations of human rights and the regression of women’s rights in Afghanistan. These actions not only undermine the progress made in recent years but also perpetuate a cycle of discrimination and oppression. The international community must take decisive action to hold the Taliban accountable for these grave violations and protect the rights and freedoms of the Afghan people, especially women, who continue to suffer under their repressive rule.
