Special Rapporteur: Clear violations of women’s rights and religious freedom in Afghanistan

KABUL: Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, has reported that the closure of education for women and girls in religious schools has begun in the country. Speaking at a UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva on Monday, Bennett described this action by the Taliban as part of a broader suppression of women’s rights and restrictions on educational freedoms. He urged the international community to take immediate measures to support women’s and girls’ access to education. At the same time, he warned that religious freedom in Afghanistan is under serious pressure. According to him, citizens face threats, coercion to change their religion, and accusations of blasphemy. The UN Special Rapporteur condemned these actions by the Taliban as clear violations of human rights and called on the international community to act in support of religious freedoms and to prevent religious persecution in Afghanistan.