General situation addressed

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2025-003-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2025
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 33.93911

Longitude: 67.709953

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Afghanistan
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • UN Special Procedures: Country
  • UN Human Rights Council: UN Human Rights Council - General
  • UN Peace Operation / Political mission
Dates of prior UN action
15 March 2024, October 2024
Type of record
General situation addressed
Type of rights defended
  • Unclear in SG Report
Reported trigger of reprisal
  1. During the reporting period, the United Nations Security Council 1 , the High Commissioner for Human Rights,2 UNAMA3 and special procedures mandate holders of the Human Rights Council4 expressed serious concern about the erosion of respect for human rights, in particular for women and girls, the reduction of civic space and media freedom and the arbitrary detention, threats and ill treatment of journalists, media and civil society actors, and the Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan reported that the Taliban’s oppressive policies, including the said law, reinforce a pervasive climate of fear and that communities are increasingly resorting to self-regulation and self-censorship (A/HRC/58/74, paras 92-93).
  2. Reportedly, the climate of fear and intimidation created by the de facto authorities has adversely affected the ability and willingness of interlocutors to engage with the United Nations and poses challenges to the monitoring and documentation of human rights violations. Some interlocutors are reluctant to share information about allegations of human rights violations or to publicly engage in United Nations fora due to fears of reprisals against them, their relatives or co-workers. For instance, interlocutors often report fears for their safety if the de facto authorities find out that they have discussed with or reported to UNAMA allegations of human rights violations and therefore often request that their interaction be kept confidential.
  3. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan also reported that the collapse of civic space has severely hampered the documentation of human rights violations and abuses owing to censorship, self-regulation and reprisals against Afghans and their family members on account of their cooperation with the United Nations, including with regard to the mandate of the Special Rapporteur (AHRC/58/80, para 27).
  4. In October 2024, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 57/3 on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan calling on relevant actors in Afghanistan to ensure that civil society organizations, human rights defenders, victims, survivors, their families and other individuals have unhindered access to the Special Rapporteur, the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, the treaty bodies and other international bodies seized of the situation in Afghanistan without fear of reprisal, intimidation or attack (A/HRC/RES/57/3, para 25).
Engagement with UN body
  • UN Special Procedures: country
  • UN Peace Operation / Political mission
Type of attempted engagement
  • Meeting with UN officials during country visit / with locally present UN officials
  • Submission of information to UN
Location of mentioned reprisals
Afghanistan
Types of reprisals suffered
  • Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
Yes
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
Yes
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
Yes