Taliban bar UN human rights envoy from entering Afghanistan

The Taliban have barred Richard Bennett, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, from entering Afghanistan.

According to Afghan media reports, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused the UN human rights body of spreading "propaganda".

He stated that Bennett would not be allowed to enter the country.

"Mr. Bennett's travel to Afghanistan has been prohibited because he was assigned to spread propaganda in Afghanistan. He is not someone we trust. He is not in Afghanistan, and he is no longer permitted to come here. He used to exaggerate minor issues and propagate them," he said.

The spokesman reiterated the Taliban's stance, asserting that they respect women's rights according to their interpretation of Islamic law and local customs, and would not bow to external pressure.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, informed Reuters that Bennett had failed to obtain a visa for Afghanistan.

He added that Bennett had been repeatedly urged to adhere to professional standards during his work but consistently produced biased reports about Afghanistan and its people.

The UN Human Rights Council did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter, and efforts to reach Bennett were unsuccessful.

Richard Bennett was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022 to monitor the human rights situation in Afghanistan.

Although currently based outside Afghanistan, Bennett has visited the country multiple times for investigations. He has frequently criticised the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls, describing it as crimes against humanity.

Since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, no country has officially recognised their government. The United States and several Western nations have linked recognition to the Taliban’s treatment of women.

Currently, girls over the age of 12 are barred from attending schools and universities in Afghanistan. Women are prohibited from working, visiting parks, and travelling without a male guardian, while beauty parlours and gyms have been shut down.

Due to these conditions, Afghanistan’s central bank assets remain frozen, and many senior Taliban officials are subject to UN travel bans. They require special exemptions to travel abroad.

The United Nations is striving to develop a unified international approach to dealing with the Taliban. In June, senior UN officials and diplomats from 25 countries met with the Taliban in Qatar.

The meeting faced criticism from human rights groups for excluding Afghan women and civil society representatives.

The UN mission in Afghanistan operates from Kabul, overseeing and reporting on human rights issues in the country.