UN rights chief condemns Taliban’s move to dissolve Human Rights Commission

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet condemned Taliban’s decision to dissolve the Human Rights Commission and expressed concerns over the grave human rights situation in Afghanistan.

“I am dismayed at the reported decision of the Taliban to dissolve the country’s Independent Human Rights Commission. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) performed extraordinary work in extremely difficult conditions over many years, shining a spotlight on the human rights of all Afghans, including victims on all sides of the conflict,” Bachelet said in a statement on Thursday.

The AIHRC has been a powerful voice for human rights and a trusted partner of UN Human Rights, and its loss will be a deeply retrograde step for all Afghans and Afghan civil society, she said.

“During my visit to Kabul in March this year, I discussed with the de facto authorities the importance of re-establishing an independent human rights mechanism that can receive complaints from the public and bring concerns to the attention of the de facto authorities,” UN rights chief continued.

In the past few weeks, dozens of countries have expressed deep disappointment about escalating restrictions on the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.