World Must Reject Normalising Taliban Rule as Afghan Rights Abuses Deepen

Bennett said engagement must not give the Taliban legitimacy without measurable improvements in human rights that can be independently verified.

The international community must resist normalising Taliban rule as repression and institutionalised discrimination continue to damage the lives of Afghans, particularly women and girls, a UN human rights expert has warned. Richard Bennett, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, said five years of Taliban control had brought deeper restrictions rather than any willingness to restore fundamental freedoms. Presenting his report to the UN General Assembly, he urged governments to make human rights, equality and accountability central to their dealings with Afghanistan's de facto authorities.

Bennett said engagement must not give the Taliban legitimacy without measurable improvements in human rights that can be independently verified. He called on governments to stand with Afghan people and ensure that diplomatic contact does not come at the expense of justice or protection from abuse. His warning described a system in which repression is becoming more firmly embedded through official rules and practices that govern everyday life.

Women and girls face particularly damaging restrictions, with recent decrees allowing violence against women and making it almost impossible to leave abusive relationships. Bennett said measures permitting child "marriage" had added to the dangers facing girls already deprived of education and opportunities. The report described abuses affecting communities across Afghanistan, including people targeted because of their ethnicity, religion, language, sexual orientation or disability.

Detention, violence and exclusion shape daily life

Bennett's report documented arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence, alongside enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Severe restrictions on freedom of expression and civic activity have reduced the space available for people to question those in power or defend their rights. Marginalised ethnic, religious and linguistic communities continue to face discrimination and abuse, with the persecution of LGBTI people and exclusion of people with disabilities adding to the report's concerns.

The consequences reach deeply into the lives of younger Afghans, who face growing exposure to gender-based violence, forced and child marriage, and child labour. Bennett warned that exposure to radicalisation could carry security consequences beyond the immediate suffering experienced by children and young people. For girls, exclusion from education harms mental health and weakens Afghanistan's prospects for development, with the damage extending beyond individual students to families and communities.

Pressure grows for prosecutions and legal action

Bennett described the four International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued for Taliban leaders as an important step towards accountability for serious abuses. He urged states to support the Court, the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan and national prosecutions using universal jurisdiction. Bringing those responsible to justice, he said, requires sustained political commitment, cooperation between countries and determined action that turns demands for accountability into results.

Governments pursuing a dispute against Afghanistan under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, known as CEDAW, were urged to accelerate their efforts. Bennett called for work towards recognising gender apartheid as an international crime, placing the systematic exclusion of women and girls within a broader push for justice. These legal efforts form part of his demand that international engagement be tied to verified improvements in rights and backed by accountability for serious violations.

Civilian protection and sustained support remain urgent

Addressing the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Bennett urged both parties to respect international human rights and humanitarian law fully. He said precautions must be taken to protect civilians, with independent investigations and accountability when civilian harm occurs. His appeal placed civilian protection alongside the wider need to defend people whose lives are already constrained by repression, discrimination and insecurity.

Bennett called for sustained humanitarian assistance and long-term support for education, healthcare, mine-action, independent media and civil society, particularly women-led initiatives. Afghan young people, especially girls and young women, continue to seek education and advocate for their rights despite the restrictions surrounding them. He urged the international community to support that determination through practical assistance and a commitment to Afghanistan's future that keeps the rights of its people at the centre.