US Official Urges Taliban's Kandahar Faction To Provide Freedom, Justice for Afghans

On this year’s Human Rights Day (December 10), the UN also asked Taliban to live up to the commitments listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which Afghanistan is a signatory.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and those who assume to govern have an immense responsibility as duty-bearers to each and every man, woman and child,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan.

The UN statement noted that despite announcing a general amnesty for former government officials and security force members and despite promising a more lenient approach towards women and girls in Afghanistan, there has been a marked deterioration of the population’s enjoyment of their basic human rights and freedoms.

UN added that the Taliban is responsible and accountable for the deteriorating situation because have limited dissent by cracking down on protests and curbing media freedoms.

The global organisation also reiterated their call for the release of Zafira Yaqobi and four other women’s right activists who remain in Taliban custody despite being in jail for more than one month now after their arrests in Kabul on 3 November.

The United Nations also stated that corporal punishments such as public floggings constitute a form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and urged for abolishing the death penalty.

After their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban imposed severe restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan.

The group has deprived Afghan women and girls of many of their rights. Among others, the Taliban has closed down secondary and high schools for Afghan girls and have restricted women’s presence at amusement parks, stadiums, and women's bathrooms.

The Taliban has also ordered that Afghan women can’t travel alone and should be accompanied by a male relative. On the other hand, the Taliban dismissed a large number of women working in government institutions and many women lost their jobs due to the strict policies of the group in the private sector.

Afghan women have repeatedly protested against the strict laws of the Taliban for more than a year, but they have faced repression, detention, and torture by the group.

Despite the pressures from human rights organisations, the Taliban has not stopped their strict rule against women in Afghanistan.

The Charge d'Affaires of the Pakistani embassy in Kabul was shot at from a building adjacent to the embassy on December 2, however, he was not injured. ISIS had claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, Pakistani officials said that they were investigating the attack.

Hours after the attack, the Taliban had announced the arrest of a suspect from a building near the Pakistani embassy.

This attack was met with many domestic and international reactions.

Soon after the attack, the Pakistani embassy announced that it will continue to operate in Kabul.

On Thursday, the 36th meeting of the Afghanistan Working Group was held within the framework of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CSTO.

Representatives of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the International Committee of the Red Cross have been present at the meeting, too.

Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

Representatives of member countries called the situation in Afghanistan dire and approved their work plan for 2023 regarding Afghanistan. The details of this programme have not been announced.

Both the officials emphasised on national reconciliation in Afghanistan and stressed that the Taliban must fulfil their commitments to the international community.

Henick convoyed to the Uzbek envoy that the United States wants to work closely with Uzbekistan on a peace resolution for Afghanistan’s issues.

A statement by Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry added that the US has also appreciated Tashkent for providing humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan.

Earlier, Uzbekistan’s foreign minister, Vladimir Norov, and US Special envoy Tom West discussed national reconciliation in Afghanistan.