Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, has stated that the newly released Taliban law regarding “religious preachers” is in conflict with international law and human rights principles.
On Wednesday, April 9th, he posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account that the law has been officially published and raised concerns about religious discrimination in favor of followers of the Hanafi school of thought.
Bennett emphasized that human rights protect religious and ethnic minorities, and any law that leads to ethnic or religious discrimination is incompatible with internationally accepted principles.
He added that legal reviews and more in-depth analyses of the law are ongoing, and the results will be presented in the future.
Meanwhile, international organizations have reported that the human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly regarding religious freedoms, has faced serious restrictions and challenges following the Taliban’s return to power.
Previously, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, endorsed the law concerning “religious preachers” and stated that preachers must be Muslim and follow the Hanafi school of thought.
