Afghanistan’s human rights situation under Taliban rule emerged as a central focus of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, with several countries voicing alarm over restrictions on women and broader civil liberties.
Opening the session, representatives from multiple governments cited what they described as a worsening rights climate since the Taliban returned to power.
Megi Fino, Albania’s deputy minister for Europe and foreign affairs, said women and girls in Afghanistan were facing “systematic repression.”
“We remain deeply concerned about the situation in Afghanistan, particularly the systematic repression of women and girls,” Fino said. “Their institutionalized deprivation of fundamental rights requires sustained international attention and accountability.”
Iceland’s foreign minister, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, called for the creation of an independent investigative mechanism to examine alleged human rights violations in Afghanistan.
Turkey’s deputy foreign minister, Mehmet Kemal Bozay, said Afghanistan continued to face “profound humanitarian challenges and unique human rights issues” that required sustained and constructive international engagement.
At the same session, Kyrgyzstan’s foreign minister, Jeenbek Kulubaev, warned against isolating Afghanistan, arguing that doing so could worsen humanitarian and human rights conditions.
“Afghanistan should not be viewed solely as a source of problems, but as a country with significant human potential,” he said. “Isolating Afghanistan and restricting its access to financial resources will only aggravate the humanitarian situation and undermine support for fundamental human rights.”
The United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan is scheduled to present a new report to the council on Thursday, Feb. 26. At least two separate reports on the country’s human rights situation are expected to be released during the session.
The special rapporteur has previously urged the international community not to normalize relations with the Taliban without accountability for rights violations, emphasizing the need for continued scrutiny.
