On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Richard Lindsay, has called for accountability for human rights violations in the country.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Lindsay confirmed that a meeting had been convened to address the ongoing human rights crisis in Afghanistan. The meeting was attended by the Asia director of Human Rights Watch, the UN special rapporteur on the situation in Afghanistan, and several human rights activists.

Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban have been accused of widespread human rights abuses, including the suppression of fundamental freedoms and systemic discrimination against women and girls.

Human rights organisations have documented a range of restrictive policies imposed by the group, including bans on girls’ education, restrictions on women’s employment, and crackdowns on freedom of expression, assembly and dissent.

The UK and other international actors continue to call for mechanisms to ensure that those responsible for rights violations in Afghanistan are held to account under international law.