A/HRC/57/5 64. The United States of America expressed deep concern about the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan. 65. Uruguay welcomed the delegation and encouraged Afghanistan to continue to strengthen its engagement with the universal human rights system. 66. Yemen expressed appreciation for the delegation’s presentation of the report and for its highlighting of challenges and called for more pressure to be placed on the Taliban to respect the rights of Afghan citizens. 67. Albania expressed concern over the deteriorating and intolerable situation of women and girls since 2021, urging the international community to take urgent measures to protect their rights. 68. Algeria commended Afghanistan for preparing its national report and highlighted the challenges that Afghanistan continued to face, as more than two thirds of its population remained in need of humanitarian assistance. 69. Argentina expressed deep concern about the serious human rights situation and thanked Afghanistan for the presentation of its national report. 70. Australia noted a severe regression in human rights under Taliban rule, condemned gender-based discrimination and persecution, including towards minorities, and urged compliance with international law. 71. Belgium deplored the terrible human rights situation in Afghanistan and urged the de facto authorities to implement the recommendations. 72. Brazil expressed concern over reports of summary executions, arbitrary detentions, torture, gender discrimination and violence in Afghanistan. 73. Bulgaria expressed deep concern about widespread human rights violations in Afghanistan, including restrictions on assembly, expression, the press and women’s, girls’ and children’s rights. 74. The delegation reported that recent, severe restrictions on freedom of speech and expression, freedom of association, the protection of journalists and the independence of a pluralistic mass media had further limited access to information and the monitoring efforts undertaken by civil society organizations, often at the risk of their lives. The Taliban had escalated its targeting of human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders, civil society activists and journalists, who were working under conditions of constant threat, insecurity and desperation. The Taliban, through its efforts to muzzle civic space, hoped to curb the documentation and reporting of the atrocities unfolding in the country, including the widespread and systematic human rights violations and abuses. 75. The Taliban actively monitored and surveyed social media activities to identify and target journalists, activists or any dissenter who spoke out against the Taliban. In particular, the group targeted women activists and activists from minority communities and their families. Human rights defenders, women human rights defenders and activists had been actively holding peaceful demonstrations, often at the risk of their lives, to protest against the rule of the Taliban. In order to suppress those demonstrations, the Taliban often resorted to excessive use of force, enforced disappearances, harassment, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention and the arrest of women demonstrators. Many women detainees had accused the Taliban of torturing them during detention. A significant number of human rights defenders, including women, remained in arbitrary detention, suffering in detention centres and prisons and lacking access to medical care and legal support. Facing retribution for their advocacy work, many human rights defenders and their families had been forced to leave Afghanistan and seek asylum in neighbouring countries. Human rights defenders in third countries faced immense challenges and threats and were in dire need of financial support. However, the forced repatriation of nationals from Afghanistan put their lives at risk. 76. The rich tapestry of ethnic and religious communities in Afghanistan had previously enjoyed certain protections under national laws that had facilitated their participation in public and political life. Since the takeover by the Taliban, those protections had been dismantled, leading to increased persecution and exclusion. Targeted attacks against GE.24-09690 7