- Bennett, a human rights advocate, began his role as UN Special Rapporteur in May 2022.
- Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Bennett of engaging in propaganda.
- Bennett's ban was announced on the Taliban's third anniversary of the takeover.
Local and international media reported on Bennett’s entry ban this week after Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused him of engaging in propaganda.
“It (the ban) happened earlier but was not made public,” the foreign ministry official told Arab News on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Bennett began his role as UN Special Rapporteur in May 2022, following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan after the American-led international forces withdrew in August 2021, ending a two-decade presence.
As a human rights advocate with 30 years of experience, he has frequently criticized the Taliban administration for its human rights record.
“Mr. Bennett has been banned from coming to Afghanistan because he was appointed for propaganda,” Mujahid told the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, as the Taliban observed the third anniversary of the takeover last week.
“He is not someone whose words we should believe. He does not stay in Afghanistan and is not allowed to come anymore … He would make a small issue large and would do propaganda, as well as he would provide false information to some other organizations.”
The comments came after Bennett’s social media post ahead of the anniversary, where he stated that “the international community must not normalize the de facto authorities or their appalling human rights violations.”
In June, Bennett presented a report to the UN Human Rights Council urging the Taliban to be held accountable for creating an “institutionalized system of discrimination, segregation, and disrespect for human dignity and exclusion of women and girls.”
Adil Basirat, an international relations expert and former lecturer at Nangarhar University, told Arab News that the Taliban viewed Bennett as influenced by the US and believed he was “trying to undermine the credibility of their government” on the international stage.
“There are some serious concerns about the status of human rights in Afghanistan, including women’s education and work. The role of the UN and other organizations, particularly the special rapporteur, is vital for overseeing the situation on the ground,” he said.
“However, the UN published some reports in the past that exaggerated the situation in the country, which the Taliban don’t like because it’s presenting a negative image to the international community. The special rapporteur should always remain impartial in his statements and reports about the situation and should not be influenced by any country.”
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