U.N. to analyze suspected abuses in Afghanistan

The United Nations Human Rights Council is to analyze abuses in Afghanistan, which may finally allow felony investigations into suspected violations by each the Taliban and international troops, together with these from the United States.

The United States, which had troops in Afghanistan till 2021 inside a NATO coalition, has beforehand opposed scrutiny of its actions, for instance, by the International Criminal Court, however backed analysis into suspected Taliban violations.

President Donald Trump has disengaged from the Geneva rights council and didn’t take a stance within the negotiations on the EU proposal for the investigation, diplomats stated.

However, a State Department spokesperson stated late on Sunday (October 6, 2025), earlier than it was adopted on Monday (October 6, 2025) with no vote, “Under the management of President Trump, the United States authorities is not going to tolerate worldwide organisations that try to exert illegal jurisdiction over American troops.”

No time restrict on probe

The European Union movement requires investigators to arrange proof for future court docket proceedings and is among the many strongest type of U.N. rights probe, on a par with current investigations into suspected crimes in Syria and Myanmar.

For years, each Afghan and worldwide rights teams have sought such a probe. Calls have turn into louder because the Taliban tightened restrictions on girls and freedom of expression.

The Taliban authorities say they respect rights according to their interpretation of Islamic legislation.

While the EU proposal for an investigation didn’t particularly point out abuses by worldwide troops, it’s described as “complete” and has no time restrict, that means it may tackle these, diplomats stated. The actual scope will likely be decided when investigators are appointed.

Investigations launched by the 47-member council can result in battle crimes prosecutions. Some nations which despatched troops to Afghanistan, comparable to Britain and Australia, have initiated inquiries however prosecutions have been uncommon.

Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, referred to as the launch a “vital step that would break a decades-long cycle of impunity”.

The new investigation would cooperate with an current ICC probe. The ICC has beforehand indicated it will de-prioritise suspected crimes by U.S. forces after Mr. Trump imposed sanctions in 2020 over its Afghanistan work.

China’s delegate Wang Nian criticised the proposal’s value of $9.2 million over three years amid a U.N. funding disaster and stated it was unbalanced.