UN Experts Urge Global Rejection of Taliban Rule Amid Escalating Rights Abuses

Freedom of expression and association, once growing in the two decades prior to the Taliban’s return, have been systematically dismantled.

 

Four years after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, United Nations human rights experts have issued a stark warning to the international community: do not normalise or legitimise the de facto authorities. The experts underscored that the Taliban’s regime continues to operate without legitimacy, relying on violence, repression, and systematic discrimination to maintain power.

Four Years of Systematic Oppression

Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have stripped Afghan society—particularly women and girls—of fundamental freedoms. The experts described the situation as a “relentless and escalating assault” on rights, noting that education for girls has been severely curtailed, women are barred from most employment, restrictions on movement are in place, and access to healthcare is heavily impeded.

Freedom of expression and association, once growing in the two decades prior to the Taliban’s return, have been systematically dismantled. Independent media outlets face censorship, human rights defenders risk persecution, and civic space has all but disappeared. The Taliban’s framework of edicts and decrees, according to the experts, reflects a deliberate strategy of institutionalised oppression, especially on gender grounds.

Gender Persecution as a Crime Against Humanity

The experts warned that the Taliban’s policies toward women and girls amount to persecution on the basis of gender—a crime against humanity under international law. They welcomed the recent arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for two senior Taliban leaders, calling accountability a crucial step toward justice.

They also urged member states and global institutions to codify “gender apartheid” as an international crime, underscoring that the severity of the Taliban’s actions goes beyond discrimination to a deliberate exclusion of women from public life.

Widespread Human Rights Violations

Beyond gender-based oppression, the experts highlighted a broad spectrum of violations:

• Public executions and corporal punishment have surged, reviving practices condemned by international law.

• Arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances are used to silence dissent.

• Ethnic and religious minorities, including the Hazara community, face targeted discrimination and violence.

• LGBTQ+ individuals experience heightened persecution under vague morality and security laws.

• Internally displaced persons and refugees are left vulnerable, with neighboring states such as Iran and Pakistan forcibly returning Afghans to Taliban-controlled territory.

These developments, the experts noted, represent a collapse of civic protections and a dangerous precedent for global human rights standards.

A Call for an “All-Tools” Response

The UN experts outlined a comprehensive strategy to counter Taliban repression. This includes:

• Establishing an independent investigation mechanism with a broad mandate to document and pursue accountability for crimes.

• Expanding support for Afghan civil society, particularly women-led organisations, which continue to operate despite extreme risks.

• Increasing humanitarian assistance and aligning efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Offering protection and resettlement pathways for refugees and asylum seekers, as forced returns exacerbate their vulnerability.

The Role of the International Community

While acknowledging that meaningful change must be led by Afghans themselves, the experts stressed that they cannot succeed without international solidarity. Every day of inaction, they said, strengthens the Taliban’s grip on power.

“The people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls, must be actively included in solutions,” they emphasised. “Global actors must provide principled, focused, and sustained support—not just in words but in practical measures of solidarity.”

A Global Moral Imperative

For the experts, rejecting the Taliban’s authority is not simply a matter of political stance—it is a moral and legal obligation. Allowing the normalisation of a system based on repression, gender apartheid, and denial of basic freedoms risks undermining international human rights frameworks far beyond Afghanistan’s borders.

As the world approaches the fourth anniversary of Taliban rule, the experts issued a clear reminder: Afghanistan is not a lost cause. A different future remains possible, but only if the global community stands decisively with the Afghan people against tyranny.