UN top envoy raises concern about well-being of 'disappeared' Afghanistan women activists

The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Deborah Lyons on Sunday has voiced grave concern over the situation of "disappeared" women activists in the war-torn country. The UN envoy has delivered this message of concern to Afghanistan's interim Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Abdul Kabir. Taking to Twitter, the UN Mission in Afghanistan announced, “@DeborahLyonsUN met dfA DepPM Abdul Kabir today to convey deepening concern about the well-being of 'disappeared' women activists.” 

Further, in the tweet, the UN Mission in Afghanistan wrote, “Kabir committed to seek answers...World support to Afghanistan is eroded without respect for all Afghan's rights.” 

After Lyons raised concern on the issue, the United Kingdom has even expressed similar concern on Sunday about the disappearance of Afghan women activists. Hugo Shorter, Charge d'Affaires, UK Mission to Afghanistan asserted that they have full support to Special Representative of the Secretary-General. He wrote on Twitter, “@DeborahLyonsUN in expressing the deepening concerns of the international community.” 

European Union's Special Envoy for Afghanistan condemned the Taliban

Furthermore, in a separate instance, the European Union's Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, condemned the Taliban, claiming that the group's proclaimed commitment to safeguarding human rights is contradicted by arbitrary imprisonment of individuals. 

In a tweet, Niklasson wrote, “The Taliban announced 'interim government' claims to be owned by the people. Arbitrary detention of citizens and disappearances undermine such claims and contradict their declared commitments to upholding human rights.”  

According to the US Special Envoy Rina Amiri, if the Taliban wants to gain credibility from the Afghan people and the rest of the world, then they must cease detaining Afghans without due process. Amiri further claimed that the Taliban must respect Afghans' human rights, which include women's rights, freedom of speech, as well as the release of the detained women, their families, and other activists. 

These remarks came after the Taliban reportedly detained two female activists in Kabul on Thursday, according to media sources. Women activists in the capital city who were advocating for their rights began to disappear in recent months. 

Image: ANI, AP