Policy Brief: The Taliban’s Gender Governance Model: Implications and Future Prospects
SummarySince the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Afghanistan has witnessed fundamental changes in its political and social structure. One of the most striking features of this period is the issuance of a broad set of decrees and directives that have directly restricted the rights and freedoms of women and girls. An examination of […]
A Legal Critique of the Taliban’s Judicial Charter From “Law” to a “Charter of Barbarism” in Afghanistan
Date: 23/01/2026The Taliban have issued on 4th of January 2026 a document entitled “Criminal Procedure Code for Courts” which is claimed to have entered into force and to be binding following its signature by Hibatullah Akhundzada as the Taliban leader. On its face, the document is presented as a framework for regulating the judicial and […]
A Historic Event on the Path to Justice
AbstractFrom 8 to 10 October 2025, as an initiative emerging from Afghan civil society and within the framework of the Permanent People’s Tribunal, headquartered in Italy, the People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women was convened in Madrid. This tribunal was widely welcomed by Afghan public opinion, and its proceedings were broadcast live by the media and […]
PERMANENT PEOPLES’ TRIBUNAL, 55th SESSION FOR THE WOMEN OF AFGHANISTAN
The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) is an international organisation competent to rule on any serious crime committed against people and minorities. A request was submitted by Rawadari, the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organisations (AHRDO), the Organisation for Policy Research and Development Studies (DROPS) and Human Rights Defender Plus, for the launch of a People’s […]
Erased but Not Forgotten: Voices for Justice and Accountability in Afghanistan
Date: September 29, 2025Time: 10:00 AM (New York Time)Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York – Room CR 11 Event OverviewOver the past four years, Afghanistan has endured one of the darkest periods in its modern history under Taliban rule. Afghan society, particularly women and girls, has been stripped of fundamental rights, denied education, employment, freedom […]
Open Letter To: Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Today, Human Rights Defenders Plus – HRD+ together with over 100 Afghan and international human rights and civil society organisations, have issued a joint open letter to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The letter urges the Council to urgently establish an independent international accountability mechanism for Afghanistan to investigate past and ongoing human rights […]
Frequently Asked Questions about the People’s Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan
Given the devastating human rights situation for women and girls in Afghanistan and ever-increasing restrictions, Afghan civil society identified a pressing need for redress. Alongside formal judicial processes, engaging a complementary, grassroots mechanism was crucial to amplify the voices of Afghan women and hold the Taliban accountable. Understanding this urgency, in December 2024, four human […]
Launch Of A People’s Tribunal For Women Of Afghanistan Before The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal
PRESS RELEASE31/07/2025 A coalition of Afghan civil society organizations is proud to announce the launch of a People’s Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan before the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT), a groundbreaking initiative to address the impunity around gender persecution in Afghanistan. As Afghan women and girls continue to face systematic oppression at the hands of […]
An Open Letter to EU Member States: Germany, Spain, Czechia, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria
From: Afghanistan’s Exiled Civil Society and Human Rights Community To: EU Member States: Germany, Spain, Czechia, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria We, Afghanistan’s exiled civil society and human rights community, address you with deep concern and an urgent plea to prevent recent risks of legitimizing repression by the Taliban de facto authorities. Recently, the German Ministry […]
“Every Hour Felt as Long as a Year” – Voices of Detainees Held by Afghanistan’s de facto General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI)
CSHRN, in collaboration with OMCT and HRD+, releases a new report: “Every Hour Felt as Long as a Year” – Voices of Detainees Held by Afghanistan’s de facto General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) This powerful report draws on in-depth interviews with survivors detained by the de facto GDI in Afghanistan between 2021 and 2024. It […]