UN Special Rapporteur Meets Afghan Activists In Norway
Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, confirmed that he had held discussions with several Afghan activists in Oslo.
However, he did not provide more details about this two-day meeting.
Bennett said that Afghan women activists at the meeting once again inspired him.
The meeting was hosted by the Human Rights Research League (HRRL) in Oslo.
In a note on X, the Human Rights Research League wrote that Bennett and several Norway-based Afghans and civil society activists discussed women's rights and accountability processes for rights abuse.
According to this note, in this meeting the environmental impacts of war on children and future generations, the ongoing need for humanitarian aid, and the increase in protection opportunities for at-risk Afghans were also discussed.
The centre stated that recommendations were made at the meeting to prevent the normalisation of relations with the Taliban without demonstrable changes.
According to the HRRL, the upcoming Doha meeting and Richard Bennett's future report were also among the topics discussed.
On Tuesday, sources told Afghanistan International that a meeting between representatives of Afghan civil society and members of the Taliban was underway in Norway.
These sources said that the meeting was held at the invitation of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and added that the two sides were discussing the human rights situation and the future of Afghanistan.
It was also reported that the representatives were discussing political dialogue and economic empowerment.
The news sparked criticism from some Afghan activists and citizens who oppose the normalisation of relations with the Taliban.
A group of Afghan women activists also protested outside the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In response to these criticisms, the HRRL refuted the Taliban official’s meeting with Bennett.
The center wrote that two separate meetings were held in Oslo, and Bennett, at the invitation of the centre, met only with Afghan activists residing in Norway.
The center added that the representatives who came from Kabul to Norway were neither invited by the centre nor did they have a meeting with the UN Human Rights Rapporteur.
Earlier, our sources said that members and supporters of the Taliban who travelled from Kabul to Norway to attend a meeting included Nazar Mohammad Mutmaeen, Qazi Saeed Moshk Alam, Matiullah Mohammadi, Jafar Mahdavi, Saleh Mazari, Sayed Younis Agha, Hadid Zakir, and Faiz Zaland.
