Taliban blocks United Nations: Entry into the country banned
The Afghan administration has announced that the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, has been banned from entering the country.
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Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the interim government of Afghanistan, argued in a statement to the German news channel Deutsche Welle (DW) that most international institutions, primarily the UN, are "biased" and "hostile."
Noting that they have held meetings with officials from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which has an office in Kabul, Mujahid said they had issued the necessary warnings and informed them that they reject the reports published by the UN on human rights issues.
Mujahid stated that they do not trust UN Rapporteur Bennett and that he does not have permission to travel to Afghanistan, describing the reason as "propaganda against Afghanistan."
'NOT SOMEONE WE CAN TRUST'
Mujahid used the following expressions:
"Mr. Bennett has been banned from coming to Afghanistan because he was tasked with spreading propaganda against Afghanistan. He is not someone we can trust. He is not currently in Afghanistan, and he does not have permission to come because he is engaged in propaganda. He was exaggerating minor issues and providing false information to other institutions. For this reason, he is banned in Afghanistan."
Mujahid stated that the institutions in question do not see the "positive developments" taking place in Afghanistan and instead focus on "issues they perceive as weak," adding, "They are striving to spread propaganda against Afghanistan."
APPOINTED IN 2022
Explaining that they declared a general amnesty when they came to power in August 2021, Mujahid stated that officials who violated the general amnesty, which was the subject of reports, have been punished.
Bennett was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan in April 2022. Bennett had been critical of the current administration regarding the state of human rights in Afghanistan.
The Afghan administration argues that reports from the international community, particularly on human rights issues, are "contrary to the realities of Afghanistan."