Amnesty International Welcomes Countries' Move to Hold Taliban Accountable for Discrimination Against Women

Agnes Callamard, the Secretary-General of Amnesty International, has stated that the Taliban have made the lives of Afghan women and girls intolerable, excluding them from all aspects of life and systematically depriving them of their rights.

While welcoming the governments' move to hold the Taliban accountable under international law, she deemed this move a significant step towards achieving justice for violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

Amnesty International also stated that the recent actions of countries should be complemented by other comprehensive efforts to address the wide range of past and ongoing crimes during the ongoing cycle of conflict in Afghanistan.

Callamard added: "The world must stand in solidarity with the brave women and girls of Afghanistan by defending their rights and holding the Taliban regime accountable."

Earlier, Canada, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands had issued a joint statement warning that if the Taliban did not stop gender discrimination, they would sue the group for violating the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women at the International Court of Justice. More than 20 countries, including Spain, Sweden, and Ireland, have since supported this statement.

Although Afghanistan has accepted this convention, the Taliban, who have not yet been officially recognized as the government of Afghanistan, have not adhered to these commitments.

The foreign ministers of Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, and Canada have stated that even if the Taliban do not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, the decision of this court will have a deterrent effect on countries that want to normalize political relations with the Taliban.

It is worth mentioning that the Taliban, after coming to power, have imposed severe restrictions on women and girls. Afghan women are currently deprived of education, work, and freedom of movement. However, the Taliban say that accusing the group of violating human rights and gender discrimination is "unjustified" and is "propaganda" falsely spread by some women against the group.