Afghanistan: UN Human Rights Council gets reports of Taliban violations, including executions
- Michelle Bachelet told an emergency UNHRC session on Afghanistan that the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls would be a ‘fundamental red line’
- China’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Chen Xu, said US and coalition militaries should also be held accountable for alleged rights violations
Michelle Bachelet gave no details of the killings in her speech to the Human Rights Council, but urged the Geneva forum to set up a mechanism to closely monitor Taliban actions.
The Taliban treatment of women and girls would be “a fundamental red line”, she told the council’s emergency session, held at the request of Pakistan and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic and religious minorities were also at risk of violence and repression, she said, citing reports of killings and targeted attacks in recent months.
Nasir Ahmad Andisha, a senior Afghan diplomat from the deposed government, called for accountability for Taliban actions, describing an “uncertain and dire” situation where millions of people fear for their lives.
Independent UN human rights experts, in a joint statement, said that many people were in hiding as “the Taliban continues to search homes door-to-door” and that seizures of property and reprisals were being reported.
