Women 'Raped' Inside Taliban Detention Centres, Reveals Report By UN’s Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, in his new report said that some "credible sources" testified about sexual harassment and rape of women inside Taliban prisons.

Bennett added that he was deeply concerned by the numerous reports of sexual violence against women inside the Taliban's prison.

The United Nations on Monday released a detailed report by Bennett, which he will present to the UN General Assembly on November 2.

The report mentions instances of sexual violence committed against women during the Taliban crackdown in January 2024 on women wearing “inappropriate” or “incorrect” hijabs.

Survivors described being taken to police stations where they were beaten and verbally abused and, in some cases, sexually assaulted.

One of the victims told the UN Special Rapporteur, "During interrogation, I was beaten, my head was banged against the wall… One of them tore my hijab and touched my private parts of my body."

Regarding the assault and rape of detained women, the report said, "Information from reliable sources indicates that women have been raped or sexually harassed during this crackdown."

The report noted the negative impact of prison on women activists. A number of women prisoners told the Special Rapporteur that although they had not experienced sexual violence in prison, they had been ostracised by society and their families.

The Special Rapporteur expressed concern over the high rate of violence against women and girls in Afghanistan, adding that gender-based violence in Afghanistan has worsened under the Taliban's rule due to repressive laws.

The report said that the Taliban's laws and policies have deprived women of their basic rights.

"While women and girls have been most affected by these repressive policies, all Afghans, regardless of gender, have been deprived of their rights, and this will cause devastating and lasting damage," the report said.

In his report, Bennett said that the Taliban's Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice "further institutionalised harassment of women and girls”.

The Special Rapporteur has reported an increase in cases of depression, anxiety, isolation and even suicide among women, and warned that "the institutionalisation of gender oppression by the Taliban and the dehumanisation of women and girls is likely to create a dangerous ideology in the next generations in Afghanistan, especially among young boys and men”.

Bennett also stressed that "the Taliban's system of gender oppression can amount to crimes against humanity, including gender abuse”.
He described the current situation in Afghanistan as a clear example of gender apartheid.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights further referred to the Taliban's claim to represent the entire Afghan people, "The Taliban regime is neither inclusive nor representative of Afghan society."

The Special Rapporteur added that the Taliban, especially at the highest levels of leadership, are mainly Sunni Pashtun men. According to the report, the Taliban claims unity in the country, but has discriminated, excluded, and rejected ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups outside the Taliban.