UN Condemns Taliban's New Morality Laws

The European Union and United Nations have condemned the Taliban's recent decree on morality, which imposes severe restrictions on women's rights in Afghanistan, describing it as systematic gender persecution. The 114-page law includes mandates that silence women's voices in public, require full-body coverings, and restrict their travel without a male guardian. UN rights chief Volker Türk emphasized the dire consequences of such laws, warning they jeopardize the future of Afghan women and the country as a whole by deepening isolation and hardship. Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on Afghan human rights, highlighted that the decree institutionalizes gender persecution and undermines the rights of all citizens, including religious and ethnic minorities. The Taliban's harsh policies have led to widespread poverty and humanitarian crises, with millions in need of aid as foreign assistance has drastically declined since their takeover. Both the EU and UN are calling for urgent international attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan.