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UN expert warns of intensifying human rights crisis as repression deepens in Afghanistan

Press releases
Special Procedures

27 February 2025

GENEVA -- The Taliban is solidifying its stranglehold on Afghan society and governing through repression and fear, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said today.

"Intensifying Taliban repression, expanding discrimination against women and girls, shrinking civic space, violations against ethnic and religious and an alarming escalation in corporal punishment and other violence are stark warnings that things in Afghanistan are only getting worse," Bennett told the UN Human Rights Council in new report.

"Afghans, particularly women and girls, and ethnic and religious minorities, marginalised communities, journalists, and human rights defenders, face daily repression under a system designed to silence, control, and punish," the Special Rapporteur said.

"These expanding restrictions amount to institutionalised persecution, which may constitute crimes against humanity."

Bennett's latest reports include a specific study on the Taliban's so-called law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The law codifies, consolidates and adds to discriminatory policies imposed by the Taliban since seizing power in 2021. Reinforcing a pervasive climate of fear and self-censorship, the law grants broad enforcement powers to de facto officials. It further restricts women's and girls' rights, the rights of men and boys, cultural rights, and infringes on freedoms of expression and religion. No one is spared.

The Special Rapporteur noted close parallels with the draconian policies imposed by the Taliban when it ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001.

"The Vice and Virtue law forms part of a systematic Taliban plan to impose a vision of Afghanistan that is at odds with fundamental principles of dignity and equality - as it did the first period of its rule," Bennett warned. "It confirms that the group has not moderated its behaviour but instead remains committed to pursuing its deeply discriminatory and misogynistic agenda."

"The law is not only an echo of the past, but a sign of what the future brings - even more oppression," the expert said.

He underscored the urgency of ensuring continued attention and action on Afghanistan, especially through humanitarian and other assistance.

"I am alarmed by the drastic reduction in international support for the people of Afghanistan. Cuts in aid are a huge mistake and will primarily harm the people of Afghanistan who understandably already feel abandoned," the Special Rapporteur said.

Bennett said countering the Taliban's extreme repression requires sustained and principled international pressure, strengthened support for civil society and an unwavering commitment to accountability.

"Failure to ensure a strong, united international response will not only further embolden the Taliban, but risks history repeating itself with devastating consequences for the people of Afghanistan and quite possibly beyond the country's borders," he said.

"While I am extremely concerned by the Taliban's escalating repression, I remain ready to engage constructively with the de facto authorities, to advocate for the rights of all Afghans, in line with international human rights obligations," Bennett said.

Richard Bennett is the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan

Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.

Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/.