Human Rights | UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett told the General Assembly that five years on the Taliban have deepened repression and that engagement must not confer legitimacy

ACW | October 29, 2026 — Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that the Taliban have intensified repression five years after returning to power.

"Five years after the Taliban took power, the group has shown no willingness to step back from systematic violations of fundamental human rights," Bennett said, according to Etilaatroz's Dari rendering of the speech. "Instead, they have continued to intensify and formalize their repression."

Amu TV reported that he cited recent Taliban decrees that, he said, weaken protection for women from violence and allow child marriage.

Bennett said engagement with the de facto authorities "must not confer legitimacy without measurable, independently verified improvements." He called the four International Criminal Court arrest warrants against Taliban leaders "an important step toward accountability" and said accountability needs sustained political will and international cooperation.

The international community "must stand with the Afghan people, protect their rights and support their future," he said. He also urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to take precautions to protect civilians.

The outlets covering the speech did not carry a Taliban response, and ACW has not found one.

Background: Activist Zubaida Akbar said on October 28 that the Taliban have issued 141 decrees against women; read ACW's report.

Why it matters: Bennett said the latest Taliban decrees further weaken women's rights. Decisions of this kind affect freedom of religion and belief and the rights of everyone in Afghanistan, including women and minorities.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: Etilaatroz — UN special rapporteur again warns against normalizing Taliban repression; Amu TV — Bennett: Taliban engagement must not confer legitimacy without rights improvements; Hasht-e Subh

Photo: UN Photo/Mark Garten