The United Nations says the Taliban government in Afghanistan is breaking other promises it has made, including protecting women's rights.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in Geneva on Monday (September 13) that the Taliban had been ordering women to stay at home after taking power, preventing teenagers from going to school and conducting house-to-house searches of old enemies. But they said they forgave their enemies.
She said Afghanistan had entered a "new and dangerous" chapter since the Taliban seized power last month. Many ethnic and religious communities in the country, including women, are deeply concerned.
Michelle Bachelet told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that the last three weeks had seen the opposite, despite assurances that the Taliban would support women's rights before taking power. They have left women behind. Bachelet also expressed frustration over the lack of women's representation in the new Taliban government.
In many parts of the country, 12-year-old girls are barred from going to school. Women have been told to stay at home, she said, adding that the situation was similar to that of the Taliban regime in 1996-2001 before the US-led invasion.
She also expressed concern that the Taliban had broken their promises by conducting house-to-house searches of ousted Afghan security officials and other government officials, despite announcing a general amnesty.
She added that the United Nations has received several allegations of house-to-house searches of people working with various US companies, including those officials.
Bachelet said they had also received reports of retaliatory attacks on members of the Afghan military. As a result, she called for measures to be taken to monitor human rights in Afghanistan.
The United Nations says the country is on the brink of collapse.