War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity: UNITE FOR AFGHANISTAN --John MacDougall (AFP via Getty)

UNITE FOR AFGHANISTAN

On 15 August 2021, Afghanistan entered a new chapter when the Taliban captured its capital Kabul, overthrew the civilian government, and took control of the country, 20 years after it had been ousted by the United States and its allies.

Contrary to the assurance of protection of human rights given by the Taliban to Afghans, crimes under international law and human rights violations, including targeted attacks and killing of people, continue to pour in after their takeover.

Human rights defenders, women politicians, former government workers, women and girls, and religious and ethnic minorities face heightened risks. Women have been barred from their workplaces and girls (above grade six) have not been allowed to go back to school. Taliban have introduced gender segregated education in universities with imposing strict veil to be followed by female students, lecturers & employees.

For the population, their fate hangs in the balance, as several blasts in Kabul since 15 August claimed hundreds of lives.

This repression must be put to an end. Unite for Afghanistan – urge governments across the world to join together and end the human rights violations and crimes under international law taking place in Afghanistan.

Sign this petition, asking governments around the world to:

• Take action to protect and respect the rights of all refugees and asylum seekers and, in particular, consider all Afghan women and girls as prima facie refugees, on the grounds of the risks upon return to Afghanistan;
• Ensure that the authorities are committed to provide protection and safe passage to human rights defenders, journalists, members of ethnic and religious minorities, women and girls, LGBTI people, civil society members, and other Afghans who are at risk of reprisals by the Taliban;
• Ask the UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council to secure commitment to human rights guarantees from the authorities in Afghanistan;
• Ensure that humanitarian aid can continue unabated within Afghanistan to the people in Afghanistan who face combined impacts of the conflict, internal displacement and COVID-19.

 https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/unite-for-afghanistan/