Human Rights Watch has expressed concern over the intensification of human rights violations in Afghanistan, particularly against women, girls and children, at the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
The organization said in a statement on Monday, September 7, that women and girls have been systematically deprived of their fundamental rights since 2021, while new laws have further restricted legal protections for them.
According to the organization, journalists, human rights defenders, protesters and former government employees continue to face serious human rights violations.
Human Rights Watch called on United Nations member states to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan and to operationalize the Human Rights Council’s independent accountability mechanism as soon as possible.
The organization also called for the collection and preservation of evidence of crimes and for the identification of those responsible for human rights violations in Afghanistan.
Human Rights Watch urged countries not to normalize their relations with the Taliban without clear human rights criteria.
The organization also emphasized preventing the forced return of people to Afghanistan and recognizing “gender apartheid” as a crime against humanity.
