Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, has warned that recognizing the Taliban without demonstrable improvements in human rights — particularly for women and girls — could set a “dangerous precedent.”
“We must not normalize the Taliban without verified, sustained improvements in human rights, particularly for women and girls. Disappointed by Russia’s recognition that sets a dangerous precedent, emboldening regimes in Afghanistan and beyond that violate human rights with impunity,” Bennett said on X.
His remarks came in response to Russia’s recent decision to formally recognize the Taliban-led administration, becoming the first country to do so since the group seized power in August 2021.
Bennett cautioned that such moves send the wrong message to authoritarian governments worldwide and undermine international accountability for human rights abuses.
The recognition has sparked widespread criticism, both within Afghanistan and internationally. Human rights groups and former Afghan officials have warned that granting legitimacy to the Taliban without structural reforms or guarantees of basic rights — especially for women — amounts to endorsing repression.
Since retaking control, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s rights, banned girls from secondary and higher education, curtailed freedoms of speech and assembly, and sharply limited the role of women in public life — drawing strong condemnation from the global community.
