UN’s Bennett discusses Afghanistan with German Foreign Minister

KABUL (TOLOnews): The UN special rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and support for the Afghan people. The German Foreign Office said on X social media platform that “our solidarity with the people in Afghanistan is unbroken. We will not let go of standing up for their human rights.” “Today, Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock spoke with UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett about the current situation in Afghanistan and support for the Afghan people.” Despite Germany’s saying that it is working to protect human rights in Afghanistan, some human rights activists consider the situation concerning. “The world has never been with the people of Afghanistan, as we witness. It has been two years that women have been denied the right to education, and work. It will be good if the Islamic Emirate pays attention to the rights of all the people of Afghanistan, especially the women of this country,” said Tafsir Siyaposh, a women’s rights activist. “We can say that women’s rights have been completely violated in Afghanistan. Numerous decrees that have been issued that forbid or limit women from working or getting an education,” said Abdul Matab Rasouli, a human rights activist. However, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that human rights in Afghanistan, particularly those of women and girls, are upheld in line with Islamic law. “Cultural and global differences must be understood. Something that is considered a law in the West may not be a law in the East, and Islamic laws have specific definitions for rights that we cannot analyze from the Western point of view,” Mujahid noted. In the meantime, Petra Sigmund, Director General for Asia and the Pacific for Germany’s Federal Foreign Office in a meeting with UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett, called the situation dire for women and children in Afghanistan. They both asked the Islamic Emirate to live up to their responsibility to the Afghan people. “Today, we discuss human rights in Afghanistan with UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett. The situation is dire, especially for women and children. We both call upon the Taliban to live up to their responsibility to the Afghan people and end systematic discrimination against women and girls!,” Sigmund said on her X social media account.