Human Rights Watch: Taliban Committed 'Crimes Against Humanity' in Afghanistan

Human Rights Watch reported that the Taliban has committed 'crimes against humanity' and gender-based persecution of women and girls in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, numerous reports have emerged detailing the group's efforts to deprive women and girls of their basic human rights and remove them from public life. The report titled 'Afghanistan Under the Taliban: Crimes Against Humanity of Gender-Based Persecution' includes the Taliban's prohibitions against Afghan women, such as restrictions on freedom of movement, expression, assembly, employment, dress, and education, as well as arbitrary detentions and violations of their freedom rights. The report states that crimes against humanity can be prosecuted in the International Criminal Court, but other options include prosecution in 'competent international case-specific courts, domestic courts of the country where the crimes occurred, or courts in other countries where universal jurisdiction applies.' Elizabeth Anson, a director at Human Rights Watch, stated that the Taliban's 'cruel and systematic' denial of rights to Afghan women and girls has drawn global attention and called for coordinated support from countries to bring Taliban leaders to justice. Human Rights Watch has urged the Taliban to end all forms of repression and discrimination that lead to the denial of the basic human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, a report from the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan indicated that the Taliban is responsible for what it termed 'gender apartheid,' exacerbating the situation of women and girls. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that 'severe discrimination, organized and institutionalized actions against women and girls are at the heart of the ideology and governance of the Taliban, which also raises concerns that they may be responsible for gender apartheid.' The United Nations defines gender apartheid as 'economic and social discrimination against individuals based on sex or gender.' The Taliban has accused the UN and Western entities of 'propaganda' against them, claiming to enforce Islamic laws in Afghanistan and stating that any opposition to it is considered opposition to Islam.