UPDATE: Interim Afghan administration bars UN special rapporteur

UPDATES WITH UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR STATEMENT

By Islamuddin Sajid and Aamir Latif

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Afghanistan's Taliban-led interim administration has banned Richard Bennett, the UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur for Afghanistan, from entering the country.

Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Bennett of spreading propaganda against the country, local broadcaster Tolo News reported.

"Mr. Bennett's travel to Afghanistan has been prohibited because he was assigned to spread propaganda in Afghanistan. He is not someone we trust. He is not in Afghanistan, and he is no longer permitted to come here," Mujahid said.

He accused the UN official of blowing minor issues out of proportion and spreading propaganda against Kabul.

The UN appointed Bennett its special rapporteur for Afghanistan in April 2022 after the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021.

Bennett, for his part, urged the Taliban administration to reverse the decision barring his entry, vowing to continue documenting "human rights abuses in the country."

“The Taliban’s public announcement that they will no longer grant me access to Afghanistan is a step backwards and sends a concerning signal about their engagement with the United Nations and the international community on human rights," he said in a statement.

He said he has "consistently" sought to engage transparently with the "de facto" authorities, offering a critical assessment of the human rights situation in Afghanistan.