UN Warns Taliban Over Alleged Human Rights Violations

DID Press: UN special rapporteurs sent an open letter to the Taliban, stating that the group’s criminal regulations violate international human rights standards and calling for the immediate repeal of “Decree No. 12.”

UN human rights experts expressed deep concern in a letter addressed to Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister, regarding the group’s penal code.

They said the Taliban’s judicial criminal framework, known as “Decree No. 12,” is inconsistent with Afghanistan’s international human rights obligations.

The letter stressed that parts of the regulations conflict with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention Against Torture, and other treaties to which Afghanistan is a party.

The experts added that the decree “seriously undermines the protection of human rights in Afghanistan.”

They called for urgent revisions of the Taliban’s criminal code and urged guarantees for the rights of all individuals under its control.

According to the letter, without reforms to the legal framework, human rights violations in Afghanistan are likely to continue, posing serious challenges for the international community.

The UN experts also urged the Taliban to work with international institutions and civil society to align Afghanistan’s judicial system with global human rights standards, and to ensure adequate protection for vulnerable groups, including women, children, and minorities.