As the Taliban mark five years in power in Afghanistan, the UN warns of a rights crisis
- Taliban officials and others gathered in Kabul to mark the fifth anniversary of the group's return to power, saying they had restored stability and ended conflict.
- A senior UN official said Afghanistan is facing a serious human rights crisis, especially for women and girls, and said the situation amounts to gender persecution as a crime against humanity.
- Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have barred girls from school beyond sixth grade and later blocked women from higher education, while also restricting their access to parks, gyms, sports and travel without a male guardian.
- The Taliban remain largely isolated internationally, with Russia the only country that has formally recognized their government.
Taliban leaders marked five years since their return to power with ceremonies at Afghanistan's Loya Jirga hall in Kabul, joined by government officials, foreign representatives and crowds of men. They said the country had regained security after decades of war and outside intervention, and celebrations were held in Kabul and provincial areas under tight security.
The anniversary came as the Taliban continue to enforce sweeping restrictions on women and girls. The report says girls older than 12 are denied education, women are barred from higher education, and access to public life is sharply limited. No women attended the ceremony.
In a video message, Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, said the human rights situation has steadily worsened, with the sharpest impact on women and girls. He said the UN's mandate has concluded that the system amounts to gender persecution as a crime against humanity.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi urged more countries to engage with the government, while noting that Russia is the only country that has formally recognized it. A Taliban deputy minister said the government had brought security and infrastructure over the past five years and created jobs.
塔利班执政阿富汗五周年之际，联合国警告人权危机
塔利班领导人在喀布尔的阿富汗大国民议会大厅举行活动，纪念他们重新掌权五周年，参加者包括政府官员、外国代表和大批男性民众。塔利班称，阿富汗在经历数十年战争和外部干预后已经恢复安全，喀布尔和各省也都在严密安保下举行了庆祝活动。
这一周年之际，塔利班仍在执行对妇女和女孩的严格限制。报道说，12岁以上女孩被禁止接受教育，女性被禁止接受高等教育，公共生活空间也受到明显限制。当天的庆祝活动中没有女性出席。
联合国阿富汗人权特别报告员理查德·贝内特在视频致辞中说，阿富汗的人权状况持续恶化，对妇女和女孩的影响最为严重。他表示，联合国的结论是，这一制度可构成“基于性别的迫害”这一危害人类罪。
塔利班外长穆塔基呼吁更多国家与塔利班政府接触，并指出俄罗斯是目前唯一正式承认该政府的国家。塔利班一名副部长则表示，政府在过去五年中带来了安全、基础设施和就业机会。