Taliban's Afghan takeover has led to 'erosion of human rights': Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday (local time) said that the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan has resulted in a "serious erosion of human rights" in the country.

Blinken's remarks came as the US state department released the 2021 Human Rights Report on Tuesday.

"In Afghanistan, the Taliban's takeover precipitated a humanitarian crisis, and has resulted in serious erosion of human rights, from arbitrary detentions of women, protesters, and journalists, to reprisals against security forces for the former government, to growing restrictions on where women and girls can study or work," he said during the press briefing.

Notably, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has also claimed that there has been a surge in human rights violations in Afghanistan, reported Tolonews.

 

"Human Rights Watch works on the human rights situation in about 100 countries around the world and at the moment we see Afghanistan as a very urgent priority. The human rights situation in Afghanistan is deeply worrying," the media outlet quoted Heather Barr, associate director of the Women's Rights Division at HRW, as saying.

However, the Taliban have denied claims of human rights violations in the country and said that such violations have decreased since it came to power in Afghanistan.

"The rights of all Afghans are ensured now. The Islamic Emirate is committed to ensuring the rights of all citizens under an Islamic structure, including men and women and any other aspect," the media outlet quoted Bilal Karimi, Taliban deputy spokesman, as saying.

The Taliban's swift ascension to power in Afghanistan occurred in mid-August, triggering economic disarray and a dire humanitarian crisis.

Despite repeated calls from all around the world, the Taliban have failed to deliver its promises on the safety of the Afghan people and their assurance of an inclusive government.