UN official reports sexual violence against women in Taliban prisons
Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, has released a report detailing allegations of sexual violence and abuse against women detained by the Taliban. According to Bennett’s findings, reliable evidence indicates that women in Taliban custody have been subjected to “sexual assault and harassment.”
The report, published on Monday, October 29, states that women were reportedly detained by the Taliban for “inappropriate dress” and subsequently faced verbal and sexual harassment in prison. In one account documented in the report, a detained female protester recounted to Bennett that she was beaten during questioning, had her head slammed against a wall, her hijab torn, and was subjected to sexual assault.
Bennett has described the Taliban’s treatment of women as “gender apartheid” and has labeled their policies as crimes against humanity. He warns that the Taliban’s gender-based oppression is fostering a dangerous ideology that dehumanizes Afghan women and girls, which may have lasting psychological and social repercussions, especially among Afghanistan’s young men and boys.
The report, which also highlights severe restrictions imposed on women and girls in education and society, is set to be presented to the United Nations General Assembly on November 1. Bennett’s findings detail increasing repression and restrictions in Afghanistan, drawing attention to the harsh impacts of the Taliban’s enforcement of so-called morality laws. According to Bennett, these policies have intensified violence against women and increased limitations on their freedoms.
The report calls for strong international action to counter the Taliban’s gender-based policies and stresses the need for global support to protect Afghan women’s rights. Bennett emphasizes that the ongoing repression of Afghan women and girls could perpetuate harmful, transgenerational ideologies if left unchecked.
