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Taliban backtracking on civil and women's rights pledges, says Bachelet

14 Sep 2021

  • Also deplores alleged human rights violations in Tigray, Ethiopia
By Shahaen Vishak United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, in a series of statements to the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council on Monday (13), highlighted that the Taliban is contradicting the promises it made to the public, especially with regard to the rights of women. She noted that on-the-ground reports confirmed that the Taliban was backtracking on its statements of being committed to granting amnesty to former security personnel and civil servants, prohibiting house-to-house searches, and assuring women’s rights under Islamic law, adding that the country has “entered a new and perilous phase, with many Afghans profoundly concerned for their human rights; particularly women, and ethnic and religious communities”. Bachelet stated that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) had received credible allegations regarding reprisal killings of former Afghanistan National Security Forces personnel, as well as allegations of civilians who had worked for the previous administration, as well as their family members, being arbitrarily detained, with some of them found dead afterwards. Further allegations charged that the Taliban was conducting house-to-house searches for officials and civilians who had co-operated with the US security forces and companies, with UN staff also reporting attacks and threats. Meanwhile, the OHCHR had also received information of the Taliban conducting raids on offices of non-governmental organisations and civil society groups. In further contradiction of the pledges made by the Taliban when it seized power was its treatment of women, noted Bachelet, who stated: “Over the past three weeks, women have instead been progressively excluded from the public sphere. In many areas, they are prohibited from appearing in public spaces without a male chaperone. In numerous professional sectors, women face increasing restrictions.” She noted that women were being barred from education, with girls over 12 prohibited from attending school in several areas. Further, several Departments of Women’s Affairs in the country were dismantled, with their offices and equipment taken over by the Taliban, posing a threat to their personnel and any potentially sensitive information stored. Civil society groups representing women had also been accused of spreading anti-Islamic ideas and “lewdness”, while in some cases, women were instructed to remain at home “for their own safety”. The Human Rights Commissioner also called out the Taliban’s reported use of violence, including the use of batons, whips, and live ammunition against activists and journalists in several provinces where protests were held against the organisation. She stated: “On 7 September, two men were shot and killed, and seven others wounded during a protest in Herat. The same day in Kabul, reports indicate that protestors were beaten, and several women, and up to 15 journalists, detained. On 8 September, during a protest in Kabul, the Taliban detained at least five journalists and severely beat two of them for several hours.  “All Afghans are entitled to fundamental rights and freedom. Moreover, Afghan women and girls have equal rights to men and boys. Their access to all basic services, including education, as well as their active and meaningful participation in all spheres of public, economic, social and political life, is essential for the development of Afghanistan, and the UN will maintain the utmost vigilance in this respect.” The lack of inclusivity in the caretaker cabinet installed by the Taliban was another issue Bachelet condemned, as it included mostly Pashtuns (Afghanistan’s majority ethnic group) and no women. She thus called on UN Member States to ensure that the provision of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan would be “rooted in the respect and protection of human rights”, as well as urging them to “use their influence with the Taliban to encourage respect for human rights, with special attention to the rights of women and girls, as well as members of ethnic and religious minority communities”. Bachelet went on to demand that the Taliban and its officials be held accountable on the issues of reprisal killings and human rights violations, as well as the establishment of an independent human rights institution in the region. She noted: “These steps are not only a matter of fundamental human rights; they are central to promoting genuine reconciliation among all actors, which is vital to Afghanistan's future. “I reiterate my appeal to this Council to take bold and vigorous action, commensurate with the gravity of this crisis, by establishing a dedicated mechanism to monitor the evolving human rights situation throughout the country, and keep the Council closely apprised of developments. In the meantime, my Office, acting under my mandate in resolution 48/141, will continue to work to the full extent of our capacity to monitor the rights of the Afghan people and assist, wherever possible, in protecting and advancing those rights.” Alleged human rights violations in Tigray, Ethiopia On Monday, Bachelet also deplored “multiple and severe reports of alleged gross violations of human rights, humanitarian, and refugee laws” committed by all parties to the conflict in Tigray, the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia, and noted that the conflict could only be resolved through a political process and dialogue. Armed forces in Tigray have been locked in civil war with Ethiopia’s federal Government and its allies since November 2020, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and the displacement of over two million in just 10 months. Bachelet noted that the fighting has not only “continued unabated”, but has also expanded into the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara, and “risks spilling over to the whole Horn of Africa”. The conflict has led to a string of mass detentions, killings, systematic looting, and sexual violence in the past few months, she stated, with civilians fleeing for their lives while those responsible for violations remain under impunity from punishment. In this regard, Bachelet noted: “Even with the changing dynamics in the conflict, there has been one constant: Multiple and severe reports of alleged gross violations of human rights, humanitarian, and refugee laws by all parties.” While appreciating the co-operation from the Government of Ethiopia with the OHCHR-Ethiopian Human Rights Commission joint investigation, as well as the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, Bachelet noted that UN human rights investigators were unable to be deployed to Axum, a holy city where the alleged massacre of several hundred people is suspected to have taken place. Noting that the investigation’s full report is due on 1 November 2021, Bachelet added: “It is already clear that cases documented comprise multiple allegations of human rights violations, including attacks on civilians, extrajudicial killings, torture, and enforced disappearances among other grave abuses. Sexual and gender-based violence has been characterised by a pattern of extreme brutality, including gang rapes, sexualised torture, and ethnically-targeted sexual violence.” She further charged that “allegations of human rights violations have continued to implicate Government forces and its allies”, adding that reports suggest that ethnic Tigrayans have been placed under arbitrary detention in unofficial sites, while those of the same ethnicity are subject to racial profiling by police forces in urban areas, with hundreds being reportedly arrested in security sweeps, with businesses owned by them reportedly being closed. However, she noted that reports showed the Tigrayan forces were also perpetrating human rights abuses, stating that over the period under review, these forces were allegedly “responsible for attacks on civilians, including indiscriminate killings resulting in nearly 76,500 people displaced in Afar, and an estimated 200,000 in Amhara”. The OHCHR has also received reports of child soldier recruitment by the Tigrayan forces, she added. Similar to Afghanistan, she called for the accountability of all parties involved, urging the Ethiopian Government to accept the recommendations of the joint investigation report, while granting unhindered access to international, regional, and national human rights and humanitarian actors. She also called on the Eritrean Government to similarly ensure accountability over alleged widespread human rights violations by its forces in the Tigray region. Bachelet concluded: “Grievances must be addressed through meaningful peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts to avoid the risk that Ethiopia will be torn apart, with profound implications for the country and the rest of the Horn of Africa. The solution to the conflict in Tigray can only be found through a political process and dialogue. I commend the African Union’s mediation efforts in this regard. I call on all parties to immediately end hostilities without preconditions and negotiate a lasting ceasefire. “Looking ahead, a sustainable peace will only come through accountability, a genuine inclusive dialogue, and a national reconciliation process.”  


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