Home Breaking ‘Not deemed necessary’ – Taliban quash independent human rights convention

‘Not deemed necessary’ – Taliban quash independent human rights convention

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The Taliban, who rule Afghanistan, have dissolved the country’s independent human rights commission. It is “not considered necessary,” deputy government spokesman Inamullah Samangani told the AFP news agency on Tuesday. “We have some other organizations for activities related to human rights.” Among other things, the Human Rights Commission had documented the civilian casualties of the two-decade-long war in Afghanistan.

Their work was suspended shortly after the Taliban took power last August, and senior commissioners fled abroad. The National Security Council and the Peace Reconciliation Council were also dissolved over the weekend.

Afghanistan, which is almost completely dependent on foreign aid, suffers from a financial deficit of the equivalent of around 470 million euros. Since taking power, the Islamists have closed several institutions protecting the freedoms of the population, including the electoral commission and the women’s ministry.

It is shocking to see how Afghanistan is falling behind in its development, said Heather Barr from the organization Human Rights Watch on Twitter about the dissolution of the human rights commission. “It was hugely important to have a place to ask for help and demand justice.”

After coming to power, the Islamists announced a more moderate government than during their 1996-2001 rule. In recent months, however, numerous freedoms, especially of women, have been curtailed.