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THE WEEK IN RIGHTS | August 19, 2021 The Taliban’s Pledges to Respect Rights in Afghanistan Raise Concerns

Photo © 2021 AP Photo/Rahmat Gul

Afghanistan’s new Taliban leadership has pledged to respect human rights using vague qualifications that heighten concerns about their credibility. They should demonstrate their commitment to rights through actions. On August 17, a Taliban spokesperson sought to reassure Afghan civilians and the international community about the new government’s support for human rights, including the rights of women and girls, media freedom, and protections for former government personnel. But in recent weeks, Human Rights Watch and other organizations have gathered information on Taliban killings of government security personnel taken into custody. The Taliban should stop all attacks on civilians and allow Afghans and their families who fear for their security because of their work, profile, or ethnicity to leave the country. READ MORE »

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Commentary: The Fragility of Women's Rights in Afghanistan “But can we trust the Taliban on women’s rights?” has been a favorite question of journalists in recent years. The answer used to be “no”; the answer now is that it doesn’t matter much. The Taliban have swept back to power, and dealing with them is the reality, again, for Afghan women and girls. READ MORE »

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