KABUL (SW) – The Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (MoPVPV) reported that the ministry has handled 30 legal cases related to women’s rights across Afghanistan in the past month.
In a recent briefing on the achievements and activities of the MoPVPV on Sunday, ministry’s spokesperson Saif al-Islam Khaibar highlighted that 9 women had successfully claimed their inheritance rights, 10 cases of forced marriages had been prevented, 7 women had been rescued from domestic violence, and 2 women were freed from house arrest.
In response to global concerns about women’s rights, particularly comments made by the UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, Mr Khaibar stated that women’s and minority rights are more protected in the country now than ever before.
He criticized international organizations for making false claims and producing reports detached from reality.
Khaibar specifically dismissed allegations that the Promotion of Virtue Law restricts the rights of women and religious minorities, calling these accusations unfounded.
“In this meeting, it was stated that the Promotion of Virtue Law tightens restrictions on women and religious minorities. One year has passed since the promulgation of the Promotion of Virtue Law, yet no decree has been issued regarding it. This is a baseless claim.”
Khaibar also refuted Bennett’s recent claim at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, held last Thursday, that forced marriages have increased since the rise of the Islamic Emirate. He emphasized that, in the past three years, the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has prevented over 6,000 forced marriages in Afghanistan.
According to the ministry’s statistics, a total of 1,185 complaints were registered last month, with 850 cases being addressed.
