Taliban marks five years in power in Afghanistan as UN warns of rights crisis

Taliban officials gathered at the Loya Jirga hall in Kabul on Saturday to mark the fifth anniversary of their return to power, touting the restoration of stability and the end of decades of conflict. The Taliban seized control on August 15, 2021, as NATO forces withdrew from the country. During the ceremony, which featured no women, deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat prayed for peace and prosperity under a Sharia-based government. Abdul Salam Hanafi, a deputy prime minister, claimed that their rule had ended an era of external intervention and internal strife. Conversely, Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, warned in a video message that the country is facing a deep human rights crisis. He stated that while the era of war has ended, the human rights situation has steadily deteriorated, particularly for women and girls. Bennett concluded that the system amounts to the crime against humanity of gender persecution and warned the international community against normalizing Taliban policies. According to UNESCO, approximately 2.4 million girls are excluded from secondary education, and severe restrictions remain in place regarding women's participation in public life, sports, and employment.