Afghanistan: UN says Taliban's treatment of women may amount to crime against humanity

A group of experts from the United Nations said last week that the Taliban’s treatment of women so far, including its recent restrictions, can amount to a crime against humanity. This followed the recent policies that would exclude women from entering public places such as parks and gyms.

A report by nine UN exports and the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, issued Friday last week, found that the Taliban’s restrictive policies on women and girls amount to a crime against humanity. The assessment said that the insurgent group’s treatment of women and girls potentially amounts to “gender persecution” under the Rome Statute. Afghanistan is a party under the statute.

The experts added in a statement that confining women in their homes also amounted to “imprisonment” and that it would likely result in increased levels of domestic violence and mental health problems. The experts cited the arrest of female activist Zarifa Yaqobi and four male colleagues. The experts added that the five people are still detained by the Taliban.

In a separate comment, the spokesperson for the UN human rights office called on the Taliban to stop public floggings in Afghanistan. The spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said that the office has received numerous reports of such incidents this month. One such incident involved a man and a woman, who have been lashed 39 times each for spending time alone together outside of marriage.

Since taking over Afghanistan in August 2021, the international community has called on the insurgent group to walk back its policies on women’s rights, such as reopening schools for girls if the Taliban wanted to make progress in gaining international recognition.

Also last week, a Taliban-backed Supreme Court ruled that 14 people are to receive lashings in a football stadium in eastern Afghanistan. Among the 14 people, three were women, who were lashed in front of the public over “sins including adultery, robbery, and other forms of corruption in a football stadium in Logar.”

The Taliban’s Supreme Leader met with judges, saying that they should issue punishments in line with their interpretation of Sharia law, according to the statement by the court.