Afghanistan Faces Severe Human Rights Crisis Under Taliban Rule: Report

Kabul: Afghanistan has become increasingly unsafe for women since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, according to a detailed report published by the international newspaper The Guardian.

The report says that Taliban claims of “respecting women’s rights” are contradicted by eyewitness accounts and testimonies from affected women. It highlights how women who demanded basic rights were met with threats, arrests, and violence.

Women Protesters Targeted

According to The Guardian, in January 2022, a woman named Zarmina and several other women protested in Kabul against growing Taliban restrictions on women. After the protest, Taliban supporters allegedly stormed Zarmina’s home and called for the women to be punished.

Zarmina was detained for 27 days. She said Taliban members threatened her, warning that she would be killed if she spoke out again. She later escaped by disguising herself and fled Afghanistan. She is now living in exile in Germany.

Despite leaving the country, Zarmina says she still does not feel safe and fears retaliation against her family in Afghanistan.

Forced Silence and Fear

Experts cited in the report say the Taliban quickly crushed peaceful women-led protests after taking power. Any small progress made by women and girls in previous years ended almost overnight.

The report adds that silencing women, criminalizing peaceful protest, and ruling through fear have become routine under the Taliban regime.

Forced Marriages and Exploitation

A separate report by the People’s Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan states that many Afghan girls are being forced into marriages or exploitation due to poverty and repression. This, experts say, reflects Afghanistan’s deepening social and humanitarian crisis.

Warning to the World

Analysts stress that The Guardian report is not just the story of one family, but a reflection of the broader situation in Afghanistan. It serves as a clear warning to the international community that the reality on the ground sharply contradicts Taliban assurances.

The report concludes that Afghanistan is facing a serious and ongoing human rights crisis, especially for women and girls, under Taliban rule.