On August 16th, the B.B.C. reported that the Taliban now controls all key cities in Afghanistan, including Kabul. Many Afghans fear that the Taliban will reimpose its brutal 1996-2001 regime, which, according to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, violently disregarded international human rights law – particularly the rights of women, children, and ethnic minorities such as the Hazara. Many Afghans have attempted to flee the county, but those unable to escape are left awaiting the potential impacts of this new rule.
After the Taliban declared the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Al Jazeera reported that the extremist group has been trying to reassure nervous Afghans with promises of peace and respect. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesman, announced: “a blanket amnesty, vowing no reprisals against former enemies.” In some places the Taliban also appealed to civil servants, including women, to continue working. Still, human rights organizations have urged the United Nations Security Council to “adopt an emergency resolution demanding that the Taliban respect international human rights law.” To achieve this, Amnesty International demanded that the Council “launch an investigative mechanism to monitor evidence of human rights abuses across Afghanistan,” calling the move “critical to ensure informed decision-making by the international community and combat the impunity which fuels the crimes in the country.”
Disappointingly, the U.N. Human Rights Council ignored such calls during its August 24th special session. The council neglected to establish an independent mechanism. Instead, the body adopted an unconvincing resolution which merely requests reports and one update by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in March 2022, which Amnesty says “[adds] little to the oversight process already in place.” In light of Afghanistan’s newly precarious situation, such failures are unacceptable. Consequently, I, like many others, am concerned about the rights violations Afghans may face.
The Taliban’s traditional position on women’s rights is particularly concerning. According to the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission, the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law exposes women to extensive discrimination and violence. Under the previous Taliban rule, women were not allowed to work, educate themselves, or walk outside without a male companion. Moreover, women who broke the law suffered severe punishments, including beatings, mutilations, and executions. Ethnic minority groups have similarly faced extreme discrimination and violence, and, according to UNICEF, children face harassment and sexual violence in Taliban-governed regions.
The brutal killings of nine Hazara men in July have further fueled human rights concerns. Activist Agnès Callamard called the murders “a reminder of the Taliban’s record, and a horrifying indicator of what Taliban rule may bring.”
According to a U.N. threat assessment, the Taliban are already making door-to-door visits to people who worked with U.S. and N.A.T.O. forces. “Those individuals and their families will likely be exposed to torture and executions,” the assessment wrote. Schools and universities also remain closed, and women have sequestered themselves inside, while men are quickly disposing of their Western clothes.
Sanam Anderlini from the International Civil Society Action Network said this behavior is only likely to worsen as international figures begin to pull out. “[O]nce diplomats, journalists, and international N.G.O.s leave, the Taliban will lock the doors… God knows what we’ll see then,” Anderlini said.
The Taliban’s behaviour suggests that it is unlikely to keep Mujahid’s promises of respect. Although it is saddening to damper that hopes for the Afghan people, evidence suggests that the Taliban’s new rule will be just as brutal as it was in 1996 – with human rights as one of the many victims.
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