Afghanistan: Taliban Rights Pledges Raise Concerns

Afghanistan: Taliban Rights Pledges Raise Concerns

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid attends a press conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, 17 August 2021.  © 2021 Kyodo via AP Images

In Afghanistan, the new Taliban leadership has claimed that it would abide by international law and human rights during a news conference in Kabul on 17th August 2021. However, the use of vague qualifications to characterise their commitment to human rights as well as their violent practice in recent weeks (e.g. use of excessive and lethal force to disperse crowds and at civilian protests, killing of government security personal, threatening of journalists) raise concerns about their credibility. The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold an emergency session on 24 August to look at the human rights situation in Afghanistan. According to Human Rights Watch, the council should establish an international fact-finding mechanism to monitor human rights in the country and report on the situation.

Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/08/18/afghanistan-taliban-rights-pledges-raise-concerns

Afghanistan: Taliban Rights Pledges Raise Concerns | Human Rights Watch

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Afghanistan’s new Taliban leadership has pledged to respect human rights using vague qualifications that heighten concerns about their credibility.