Afghanistan: Prison for Critics and Silence of the Media Statement by Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+)
29/05/2025 The human rights situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating everyday due to the ruling political regime. The Taliban de facto administration has increasingly restricted civil liberties, transforming the society into a prison for dissenting voices and critics. The Taliban intelligence agency has recently intensified its persecution and arrest of critical religious figures. Qari Sirajuddin and […]
Human Rights Bulletin – Afghanistan – March and April
Read Full Report Afghanistan continued to experience severe and widespread human rights violations throughout March and April 2025. The Taliban’s intensified repression manifested through extrajudicial killings, mysterious murders, arbitrary arrests, torture, public floggings, executions, gender-based violence, restrictions on media and expression, and escalating suicide cases linked to economic hardship, domestic violence, and psychological distress.This period […]
Being a Voice for the Silenced: 58th Session Human Rights Council
Introduction: Let’s us break the silence and expose the grave human rights violations within Afghanistan’s detention system. Discover the finding of a study conducted with former prisoners in Afghanistan, accompanied by testimonies by interviewees. We call on the UN Human rights Council to uphold justice, accountability, and to ensure the protection of detainees from torture […]
Oral Statement for the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Speaker: Mohammad Asghar Surush I Thank you Mr President and Delegates, ADDO, CSHRN, HRD+, and OMCT stand before this Council with deep concern over the escalating human rights crisis in Afghanistan. Civic space is disappearing—journalists, human rights defenders, and peaceful protesters face arbitrary arrests, threats, and violence for simply speaking out. Women and girls bear […]
Human Rights Bulletin – Afghanistan – January and February
Read Full Report Afghanistan continues to face systematic human rights abuses under the Taliban regime. The reporting period witnessed widespread extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, public punishments, gender-based violence, restrictions on education and expression, and targeted oppression of ethnic, religious, and political groups.During this period, over 14 targeted killings and enforced disappearances were recorded, alongside more […]
Open Letter: Stop the Deportation of Afghan Asylum Seekers in Pakistan
Date: 28 – February – 25 Pakistan’s Prime Minister has announced a March 31 deadline to deport individuals awaiting relocation to third countries unless their cases are swiftly processed by the governments that have committed to resettling them. Many Afghan men and women, particularly human rights defenders and activists, have fled due to violence, persecution, […]
Prospects of HRDs in Afghanistan 2nd Round of the Strategic Dialogue of Afghan HRDs Berlin, Germany
The 2nd Strategic Dialogue of Afghan Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in Exile, themed “Prospects of HRDs in Afghanistan: Accountability and Representation,” was held on December 10–11, 2024, at the Mercure Hotel MOA in Berlin. Coinciding with International Human Rights Day, the event brought together 64 confirmed in-person participants and 43 confirmed online attendees, who faced […]
HRD+ Statement Regarding the Increase in Restrictionson Media and the Ban on Political Programs
19/02/2025 The de facto Taliban administration, despite repeated calls from civil society, intellectuals, academics, political and economic sectors of the country, continues to impose ever-increasing restrictions on media freedom and other civil liberties. Recently, the de facto Taliban administration issued a decree limiting political programs, including the complete prohibitionof all political discussions on media platforms. […]
HRD+ Statement on Arrests and Harassments of HRDs, Religious Scholars and Teachers
02/02/2025 Recently, the Taliban de facto administration has detained several respected and influential religious scholars who have voiced criticism against the Taliban’s anti-human rights practices. These scholars have been subjected to degrading and inhumane treatment. Their advocacy for girls’ education, social inclusivity, the rule of law for all, the elimination of discrimination, and the establishment […]
JOINT STATEMENT ON THE ROLLBACK OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN AFGHANISTAN UNDERTALIBAN RULE
10/12/2024We stand in solidarity with the women and girls of Afghanistan, who have faced a devastating and systematic rollback of their fundamental rights since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. As feminist organizations committed to gender equality and women’s rights in Muslim contexts, we are deeply disturbed by the rapid erosion of women’s […]