Statement at the UN Human Rights Council's 60th Session
Item 2: Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Afghanistan with the Special Rapporteur
Delivered by Olimjon Bakhtaliev, CIVICUS
Mr. President,
First and foremost, we express our sincere condolences to the victims of the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, which adds to country’s long-standing humanitarian struggles.
We are also deeply concerned by the systematic erosion of fundamental freedoms in Afghanistan under Taliban's four-year rule — a decline that led to a total closure of civic space. This closure has resulted in no room for CSOs, activists and journalists to operate independently or safely.
HRDs and journalists are facing constant harassment, arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearance by the de-facto authorities. Independent media outlets have been raided and shutdown.
Women and girls have been completely excluded from public life - tantamount to "gender apartheid" - while activists and journalists deported from Pakistan face a significant risk of persecution by the Taliban.
CIVICUS support efforts by the International Criminal Court to prosecute two of the Taliban's top leaders for crimes against humanity, and calls by civil society and the UN Special Rapporteur to establish an independent accountability mechanism with a mandate to address grave abuses and international crimes.
We call on this Council to urgently strengthen monitoring and reporting on human rights violations in Afghanistan, provide protection for Afghan civil society, especially women HRDs at risk, and support ensuring accountability for serious crimes by the Taliban.
We also urge States to fully support renewing the Special Rapporteur’s mandate.
Thank you!
