Taliban repression of women a crime against humanity, says Brown

The Taliban's treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan is a "crime against humanity", Gordon Brown has told the BBC.

The former prime minister is calling on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute those responsible for the "vicious" abuse of human rights.

The Taliban has severely restricted the freedoms of women and girls since they regained power in 2021.

"This is the systematic brutalisation of women and girls," he said.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4 Today's Nick Robinson, Mr Brown, now the UN's special envoy for global education, said: "They've been excluded from education, excluded from employment, excluded from visiting public places.

"All these bans are a form of discrimination. It's probably the most heinous, most vicious, most comprehensive abuse of human rights in place around the world today.

He described the system as a form "gender apartheid" that should be considered a crime against humanity.

"It's right then for the International Criminal Court, which has responsibility for dealing with crimes against humanity, to both investigate and prosecute those responsible."

Mr Brown said he was shocked there was "so little international pressure on the regime" and called for UK sanctions sanctions against the Taliban leadership.

He also called on leaders and clerics from Muslim-majority countries to intervene.

Girls in the country have been banned from attending secondary school and women from university.

Women and girls are also prohibited from entering amusement parks, working in NGO offices and are compelled to stay at home.

The UN has previously described women reporting feeling "invisible, isolated, suffocated, living in prison like conditions" with many unable to meet and their basic needs without employment or aid.