Taliban assault on women’s rights continues in Afghanistan

Taliban Assault on Women’s Rights Continues in Afghanistan

On Thursday, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) spokesperson Liz Throssell revealed that in its latest act of disempowerment, de facto authorities have told women civil servants prohibited from working that despite qualifications or experience, their salaries will now be cut to the lowest level. The Taliban overtook Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, in August 2021,…

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World News in Brief: Russia likely attacked Ukraine cafe, disease alert for Sudan, Taliban must release rights defenders

World News in Brief: Russia likely attacked Ukraine cafe, disease alert for Sudan, Taliban must release rights defenders

The report published on Tuesday and based on site inspections and witness interviews says that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that the missile was launched by Russian armed forces”. It details the devastating impact of what has been one of the deadliest single incidents for Ukrainian civilians since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. …

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‘Patience’ and dialogue with Taliban only way forward: Afghanistan mission chief

‘Patience’ and dialogue with Taliban only way forward: Afghanistan mission chief

Roza Otunbayeva, a former President and Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, serves as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA. She has to live and work in a State whose de facto authorities have practically outlawed women, forbidding them to work, study, and…

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Keep pressuring Afghanistan amid ‘unparalleled assault’ on women’s rights

Engagement key to reform of Taliban decrees restricting women’s rights

Roza Otunbayeva, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), called for a “reframed engagement strategy”, expressing concern over the “lack of positive direction” in current efforts. “The lack of trust on all sides is a serious impediment to building confidence but the doors to dialogue are still open,” she said. “This moment,…

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Taliban urged to uphold Afghan girls’ right to education

Taliban urged to uphold Afghan girls’ right to education

“Denying education to girls is a violation of universal human rights,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW). “The de facto authorities can do the right thing for the long-suffering people of Afghanistan by ensuring that every girl in Afghanistan can access quality education and contribute to rebuilding their war-torn country,” she…

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Taliban stopped 30 female students from going to UAE for higher education

Taliban stopped 30 female students from going to UAE for higher education

Taliban prevent 30 female students from going to UAE on scholarship; Photo: File bill to: The Taliban government prevented 30 female students who received scholarships to study in the UAE from going to the UAE on scholarship. According to the international news agency, 22-year-old student Laila told AFP that 30 students, including me, were sponsored…

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INTERVIEW: Building bridges between Afghanistan and the world because ‘isolation is not an option’

Afghanistan’s Taliban responsible for revenge killings, torture of former officials

A new publication from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) presents “credible” reports that between 15 August 2021 and 30 June 2023, the country’s de facto authorities were responsible for 218 extrajudicial killings, 14 enforced disappearances, over 144 instances of torture and ill treatment, and 424 arbitrary arrests and detentions.  ‘Betrayal of trust’ UN human…

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The eerie silence of starvation ‘is deafening, it never leaves you’: UN official

Rights experts denounce idea of ‘reformed’ Taliban two years after return to power

The gap between promises and practices by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities has widened during this period, they said, denouncing the idea of a “reformed” Taliban.  They said Taliban policies imposed on the population “have resulted in a continuous, systematic and shocking rescinding of a multitude of human rights, including the rights to education, work, and…

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