AODHR

To:
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Amnesty International

Urgent Human Rights Appeal

We write to express our profound outrage and deep concern over the brutal killing of an Afghan refugee woman, Fatima (30), and her three young children, whose bodies were discovered hanging inside their residence in the Sohrab Goth area of Karachi, Pakistan. This horrific incident represents a grave violation of the most fundamental human rights, including the right to life, safety, and human dignity.

This atrocity is not an isolated case. In recent months, multiple Afghan refugees, including a married couple in Islamabad, have been subjected to violent and fatal attacks. These repeated incidents reveal an alarming pattern of insecurity, lack of protection, and systemic failure to safeguard Afghan migrants—particularly women and children—who are among the most vulnerable populations.

Afghan refugee families in Pakistan face widespread insecurity, escalating domestic and structural violence, and the near-total absence of effective legal protection. Women and children are disproportionately exposed to abuse, exploitation, and lethal harm, while fear of detention, deportation, or discrimination often prevents victims from seeking justice.

We urge the United Nations and Amnesty International to take immediate and decisive action by:
1. Publicly condemning this crime and similar acts of violence against Afghan refugees in Pakistan;
2. Calling on the Government of Pakistan to conduct a transparent, independent, and thorough investigation into this case and to hold all perpetrators accountable;
3. Pressing for concrete measures to ensure the protection, legal support, and physical safety of Afghan refugees, with particular attention to women and children;
4. Monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation of Afghan migrants in Pakistan, including patterns of violence, impunity, and discrimination.

Silence and inaction in the face of such atrocities contribute to the normalization of violence and embolden those who act with impunity. The international community bears a moral and legal responsibility to protect vulnerable refugee populations and to ensure that crimes of this magnitude do not go unanswered.

The lives of Afghan refugees matter. Justice must not be delayed, and accountability must not be denied.

Sincerely,
Afghanistan Organization for Development of Human Right( AODHR)

Appreciation Statement on the ICC’s Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leaders
Issued on behalf of Afghanistan Organization for Development of Human Right ( AODHR)
Date: 8 July 2025
We, at AODHR ,commend the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Office of the Prosecutor for taking bold and principled action by issuing arrest warrants for Haibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani in relation to crimes against humanity in Afghanistan.
This decisive step marks a historic moment in international justice ,the first time gender-based persecution, including on the grounds of gender identity and expression, has been publicly acknowledged at this level. It affirms what Afghan women, girls, LGBTQI+ individuals, and civil society have courageously documented and resisted for years: the deliberate, systematic oppression carried out by the Taliban regime since their return to power in August 2021.
We extend our deepest respect to the survivors, Afghan human rights defenders, and grassroots organizations who have continued to speak out at great personal risk. Your voices have not gone unheard.
We also express our appreciation to the ICC’ Prosecutor office for centering gender-based violence as a matter of global accountability, and for recognizing the full scope of harm endured by Afghan communities.
While justice may not be immediate, this action delivers a powerful message: Impunity for crimes of persecution—particularly against women and gender-diverse people—cannot and will not be tolerated.
We urge ICC member states and the international community to fully cooperate with the Court, support enforcement of these warrants, and sustain their commitment to Afghan civil society and survivors.
Together, we must ensure this milestone leads to not just legal accountability, but real change for those who have suffered under tyranny and continue to resist it with courage
Email:[email protected]

متن بیانیه، مشترک در جلسه سالانه مجمع عمومی کشورهای عضو محکمه جرایم بین المللی که از تاریخ ۲-۶ دسامبر در شهر هاگ، هالند دایر شده بود.

Madam President, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for the opportunity to address the Assembly of States Parties on behalf of the
Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization, Afghanistan Transitional Justice
Coordination Group, the Afghanistan Organization for Development of Human Rights, and
Coalition for the Prevention of Hazara Genocide.
I am from Afghanistan, a country where women and girls are no longer treated as human beings,
where ethnic and religious minorities face widespread discrimination and even Genocide, where
Afghan citizens are subjected to political and cultural persecution, and where the mechanisms
for domestic accountability are absent. In this vacuum of justice and accountability, the Afghan
people turn to the international community, including this Assembly, as a beacon of hope to end
impunity for the most egregious crimes committed against them.
Gender Persecution and Gender Apartheid
Most critically, we are witnessing blatant gender persecution in Afghanistan and what can only
be described as gender apartheid. Since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, there has been a
systematic and institutionalised campaign to violently oppress women and girls, with conditions
rapidly deteriorating. Through a series of draconian decrees, the Taliban has stripped women of
their rights and freedoms, effectively erasing them from public life and subjecting those who
speak out to harsh punishment and inhumane treatment. Afghanistan has become the most
repressive country in the world for women, and all this is happening before our eyes -
unchallenged and unobstructed.
Distinguished Delegates,
Allow me to paint you a picture – a dark and harrowing picture – of what life has become for
women and girls in Afghanistan.
Girls are no longer allowed to attend school beyond the sixth grade, and women are barred from
secondary education and universities. Women have been effectively excluded from the
workforce and completely removed from political and public decision-making roles, with female
politicians, judges, and civil servants systematically ousted. Women are further forbidden from
leaving their homes without a male guardian and, when permitted outside, must wear full-body
coverings. They are also banned from accessing parks, gyms, and public baths and are even
prohibited from singing or speaking publicly.
Women who protest against these restrictions face constant threats, arbitrary arrests,
imprisonment, and in some cases, enforced disappearances – fueling fears of brutal reprisals for
any form of dissent. There is credible evidence of women being subjected to arbitrary detention,
beatings, floggings, targeting killings, torture, r**e and other forms of sexual violence, with many
human rights organizations holding that these acts may amount to crimes against humanity.
The Taliban remain defiant and show no intention of changing their behaviour, leaving women
increasingly vulnerable and unprotected.
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ASP General Debate – Joint Statement
Ethnic and Religious Minorities
There has also been a persistent pattern of targeted and deliberate attacks against ethnic and
religious minorities in Afghanistan, particularly the Shia-Hazara community. The Hazara
community has long endured systematic and widespread discrimination, a painful history that
has only deepened in recent years.
Under Taliban rule, the Hazara community has been excluded from decision-making roles in
government institutions, banned from practising and teaching the Shia faith, subjected to
excessive taxation, and exposed to acts of violence, among others. This violence is further
exacerbated by the actions of the Islamic State for Khorasan Province (ISKP), which has
perpetrated targeting killings and horrific attacks on Hazara educational institutions, places of
worship, hospitals, and sports centres. Many human rights organisations have also expressed
serious concerns that these acts may amount to the crime of genocide.
Accountability
Distinguished Delegates,
The situation in Afghanistan demands urgent and coordinated action by the State Parties. A
culture of impunity has prevailed in Afghanistan for far too long, perpetuating cycles of violence
and injustice, leaving victims without redress and emboldening perpetrators. In the absence of
domestic accountability mechanisms in Afghanistan, the International Criminal Court (ICC)
remains a vital avenue for addressing long-standing injustices.
We therefore leave you with the following recommendations:
First, we urge the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) to continue its investigation into the Situation
in Afghanistan and ensure that its investigation addresses all relevant crimes committed by the
implicated parties, including the Taliban, ISKP, and national and international forces.
Second, we urge State Parties to provide the cooperation and resources necessary for the OTP’s
investigation to ensure accountability for the crimes committed in Afghanistan. This includes
facilitating the collection of evidence from Afghan refugees and diaspora communities, and
prioritising the protection of witnesses by strengthening international mechanisms for witness
protection and implementing other security measures for those at risk.
Third, we urge State Parties that have been militarily present in Afghanistan to ensure transparent
and meaningful investigations into allegations of war crimes committed by their forces.
Finally, we urge State Parties to support an ‘all-tools approach’ to ensure justice and accountability
in Afghanistan. This includes proceeding with a case against Afghanistan before the
International Court of Justice for CEDAW violations, codifying gender apartheid in the
upcoming crimes against humanity treaty, using universal jurisdiction, establishing an
independent international accountability mechanism for Afghanistan, supporting the UN Special
Rapporteur’s mandate, and implementing his recommendations.
Thank you.