EU condemns Taliban’s human rights violations, calls for accountability

The European Union has strongly criticized the Taliban’s human rights policies in Afghanistan, warning that their gender-based discrimination could constitute gender persecution—a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute, which Afghanistan remains a party to.

Speaking at the 58th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, the EU expressed deep concerns over the Taliban’s Policies of Vice and Virtue (PVPV) Law.

According to findings from U.N. Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett, the law codifies extreme discrimination and gender-based violence while restricting education, employment, movement, and freedom of expression—particularly for women and girls.

The EU urged the Taliban to comply with Afghanistan’s international legal commitments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

Beyond concerns for women’s rights, the EU highlighted the worsening conditions faced by ethnic and religious minorities, whom continue to face increased persecution.

The EU reaffirmed its support for the mandates of the U.N. Special Rapporteur and the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). It also urged further examination of the role men play in enforcing Taliban policies and the long-term societal effects of these restrictions.