Taliban has zero credibility on women's rights, retorts ex-Afghan researcher at HRW

Everyone from the Taliban leadership, which is ruling Afghanistan, has “zero credibility on women’s rights”, said Associate women’s rights director and former senior Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, Heather Barr on Friday. Underscoring the derogatory remarks by the Taliban against women in Afghanistan, Barr on Twitter called out the extremist organization’s growing atrocities. 

She said, “Everyone from Taliban leadership has zero credibility on women’s rights,” recalling the human rights violation taking place in Afghanistan.

“They made representations about their supposed respect for women and girls when taking power. Every day after there was a new crackdown on women & that continued to intensify over time,” she added, continuing the thread.

Barr’s remarks came in the backdrop of the Taliban drawing backlash from both inside and outside Afghanistan for imposing fresh restrictions on women including the latest order which orders female TV anchors to cover their faces on air. Tolo News had reported that it received a “final and non-negotiable” order from the Taliban’s Virtue and Vice Ministry wherein it ordered the female TV presenters to cover their faces. An Afghan local media official, on the condition of anonymity, spoke to The Associated Press about receiving the decree. "The station has no other option except abiding by the order," the official said.

UN denounces dissolution of Afghan Human Rights Commission

Earlier this month, after the Taliban announced the dissolution of the Human Rights Commission in Afghanistan, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet denounced the decision of the extremists. "I am dismayed at the reported decision of the Taliban to dissolve the country's Independent Human Rights Commission,” Bachelet said while also noting that AIHRC had carried out commendable work in the war-torn country.

“The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission performed extraordinary work in extremely difficult conditions over many years, shining a spotlight on the human rights of all Afghans, including victims on all sides of the conflict," she said in a statement.

Image: AP