KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, dismissed the latest report by Richard Bennett, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, as stemming from what he called Bennett’s “personal bias.”
Drawing on credible sources, Bennett’s new report describes how women have been detained for wearing what the Taliban deem “inappropriate” or “incorrect” hijab, and subjected not only to physical violence but also, in some cases, to sexual assault.
The Special Rapporteur has expressed profound disturbance over these accounts, particularly regarding a January 2024 crackdown in which detained women were reportedly taken to police stations, where they endured verbal abuse, beatings, and, in some cases, sexual assault. One survivor recalled, “They beat me as they asked questions, hitting my head on the wall … One of them tore my hijab and then touched my private parts.” Other former detainees revealed similar abuse, while some, though spared sexual violence, still faced ostracism within their families and communities, who doubted their accounts.
Bennett has emphasized the many obstacles faced by survivors of sexual violence in Afghan society, where harmful stereotypes, social stigma, and victim-blaming discourage victims from speaking out. Restrictions on women’s movement further complicate survivors’ access to essential medical, psychological, and reproductive services. Given this “culture of silence,” Bennett warned that many cases of sexual violence likely go unreported.
The report also raises alarm over the Taliban’s recruitment of children, noting a resurgence of the practice known as bacha bazi, or child exploitation, under Taliban rule.
In a chat with Amu, Mujahid, responding to the report, said that Bennett’s findings “hold no significance” for the Taliban, labeling them “worthless.”
He maintained that the accusations were based on “personal grudges” and rejected the findings outright.
Taliban have consistently denied such allegations in recent years, repeatedly dismissing reports on human rights abuses, particularly those concerning the treatment of women and children.
