Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, states that the Hazaras and Shia Muslims in Afghanistan are facing violent attacks from ISIS, as well as discrimination and marginalization in various aspects of life by the interim government.
Mr. Bennett made these remarks at the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York, expressing deep concern over the situation of ethnic and religious minorities in Afghanistan, particularly the Hazaras.
He emphasized that many Hazaras are Shia Muslims who are unjustly restricted in their religious practices, especially during the month of Muharram.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights stressed the urgent need for accountability and effective protective measures against violence and discrimination against Hazaras and other ethnic and religious minorities.
During this meeting, he presented his new report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, which documents violence against ethnic and religious minorities and instances of “sexual assault and abuse” against women in the country’s prisons.
The UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan noted that the current government introduced a law on “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” about a month after participating in the third Doha meeting, which not only intensified restrictions on women but also imposed limitations on the freedoms of religious minorities and media.
The UN Special Rapporteur called for a unified approach from the international community to improve the human rights situation in Afghanistan, stating that a comprehensive, coordinated, and rights-based program must be adopted and implemented.
