Translated with AI
On February 26, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for political dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan amid border clashes and airstrikes that have resulted in deaths, the UN press service reported.
He stated that the situation requires urgent political dialogue rather than further escalation of force. He noted that reports are coming in of a sharp rise in civilian casualties during cross-border clashes with Pakistani forces, who are reportedly targeting armed groups sheltering in Afghanistan.
According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, 70 civilians were killed and another 478 were injured in the country in the last three months of 2025. This week, new casualties were recorded: 13 civilians were killed and several were injured as a result of Pakistani airstrikes.
Volker Türk also condemned the tightening of decrees by the de facto Taliban authorities, which, he said, seriously infringe on the rights of women and girls. He noted that decrees adopted since 2021 expand the list of crimes punishable by death and allow for the use of physical violence against women and children in the home. Criticism of the authorities has been criminalized.
According to him, the system of segregation resembles apartheid, based not on race but on gender. The de facto authorities have banned women and girls from pursuing education beyond the primary level and from working in most sectors. Restrictions affect access to healthcare, participation in public life, freedom of movement, and expression.
The High Commissioner noted that "morality" laws are used to force men to grow beards and women to adhere to strict hijab rules. The so-called "Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" law is used to restrict women's freedom of movement, prohibiting them from leaving their homes without a male guardian. Music and images of living creatures are also prohibited.
Since September 7 last year, de facto authorities have banned UN staff and other Afghan women from entering the organization's premises across the country.
Volker Türk called on the international community to increase pressure on the de facto authorities to comply with their international human rights obligations. He emphasized that human rights violations have direct consequences for peace and security.
The situation in Afghanistan is regularly discussed in the UN Security Council, where sanctions and other measures, including monitoring, are applied. The UN General Assembly adopts resolutions in support of the people of the country and the creation of a stable, secure, and economically self-sufficient state free from terrorism, drug trafficking, transnational crime, and corruption.
The International Criminal Court has also reportedly issued arrest warrants for Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani. The warrants state there are reasonable grounds to believe they are responsible for crimes against humanity, including the persecution of women, girls, and other individuals who do not conform to the Taliban's gender policies, as well as individuals perceived to be their allies.
