The Taliban have waged a systematic assault on freedom in Afghanistan, says UN human rights chief

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The U.N. rights chief says the Taliban have waged a systematic assault on the freedom of Afghanistan’s people. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that human rights are in a state of collapse in Afghanistan more than two years after the Taliban returned to power. Turk told the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday that women and girls especially are experiencing “immeasurably cruel” oppression. The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, as U.S and NATO forces withdrew from the country after more than two decades of war. They initially promised a more moderate approach compared to their previous rule but gradually restricted the rights of the population.