Participants during a United Nations meeting on Friday called for an investigation by the International Criminal Court into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan.
Among them, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Afghanistan, also emphasised on the necessity of such an investigation.
Bennett emphasised that there has been a prolonged period of impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and human rights violations in Afghanistan.
The UN official focused on a comprehensive and unbiased investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, stressing on accountability for these crimes.
However, Bennett did not mention any specific cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed in Afghanistan.
He mentioned the deprivation of women and gender discrimination in Afghanistan as a potential subject of investigation concerning the violation of human rights in the country. He said that it may be possible to open a case for it in international courts.
He added that according to international laws, the United Nations does not have the authority to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity, and it is exclusive to the International Criminal Court.
The meeting was held on Friday titled "Accountability for Crimes Committed in Afghanistan: ICC and Beyond", in the presence of four prominent human rights experts.
The meeting was held with a warning that there is a risk of overlooking war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan.
In this meeting, it was emphasised that with the rise of the Taliban and the escalation of human rights violations in Afghanistan under their rule, the demand for justice and accountability is more than ever.
The United Nations began the meeting reminding that Afghanistan has witnessed serious violations of human rights in the past four decades, and so far, domestic and international efforts to respond to these war crimes and crimes against humanity in this country have been insufficient.
The International Criminal Court resumed its investigation into the crimes of the Taliban and ISIS a year ago, and the calls for this investigation have since intensified.
The United Nations meeting, held on Friday, focused on the investigation by the International Criminal Court and underscored the imperative to hold those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan accountable.
