Taliban bars UN human rights rapporteur from Afghanistan

It has been three years since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, bringing with them a range of measures designed to constrain the rights of women and girls.

So much so that campaigners, including the United Nations-appointed special rapporteur Richard Bennett, are calling for “gender apartheid” to be recognised as a crime against humanity.

This week the Taliban barred Bennett from entering the country. According to a local broadcaster, Bennett has been accused of producing reports “based on prejudices and anecdotes”. Bennett has condemned the Taliban’s decision as a “step backwards” and urged them to reconsider.

Other human rights campaigners have signalled it’s no coincidence the Taliban’s decision followed the UN acceding to Taliban demands to bar Afghan women from a recent international summit in Doha.