Afghanistan: United Nations Special Rapporteur endorses calls to cease girls' detentions

Kabul [Afghanistan], February 5 : Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, has endorsed the UN experts' calls for halting the detention of girls over dress code violations, affirming ongoing investigations into such detentions as reported by The Khaama Press
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights has praised the organization's experts' report on the cessation of "arbitrary" detentions of women in Afghanistan, as stated in a message shared on his social media site, X.
In a social media post, Bennett welcomed the UN experts' report urging an end to the "arbitrary" detention of women in Afghanistan by Taliban forces. The report, issued on February 2nd, raised concerns about physical violence against girls detained in Taliban prisons, as per The Khaama Press
Bennett emphasized that "I, along with other UN experts, call on the Taliban to put an end to the arbitrary detention of women and girls based on 'bad hijab,' which violates their human rights and the agency's rights. I will continue to investigate related allegations."
According to news agency The Khaama Press, recent detentions of women and girls across various Afghan regions, including Kabul, Bamyan, Daikundi, Panjshir, Balkh, and Kunduz, due to hijab non-compliance, have triggered widespread outcry in recent weeks.
According to the UN experts' statement, detained women and girls were taken to police stations, where they received only one meal per day and endured physical torture.
Most cases of detained girls for "immodesty" originated in western Kabul, particularly Hazara-populated areas, and spread swiftly to Tajik-populated regions in Kabul, Bamyan, Balkh, Daikundi, and Kunduz cities, as per The Khaama Press.
UN experts have also reiterated that "Taliban authorities in Afghanistan should adhere to Afghanistan's international human rights commitments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and strive to support human rights principles, eliminate discrimination, and uphold the rule of law."
Formerly, the Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan at the United Nations denounced the incarceration of girls in Afghanistan, calling it " "indicative of further restrictions on women's freedom and the weakening of their other rights."
Additionally, the Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, called the recent UN Human Rights Office report about the "arbitrary" detention of women and children in the nation "baseless."
Mujahid emphasized that "we reject these reports; no one is imprisoned, no one is detained, and none of these allegations are true. Unfortunately, certain entities should not rely on these claims with the support of social media networks that do not have a precise and solid foundation."
Concerns persist over the human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly regarding women's rights, even two years into Taliban rule, including worries about access to education and employment opportunities for women.