Reports

Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+) issues this statement to draw the urgent attention of the international community to the serious and systematic violations of the cultural rights of the citizens of Afghanistan.Based on documented reports and published images, the Taliban have collected musical instruments in the provinces of Parwan and Laghman and publicly set them on fire. The deliberate dissemination of images of this act on social media reflects a targeted approach aimed at suppressing the art of music and creating an atmosphere of intimidation against artists across the country.The public destruction of musical instruments sends a threatening message to artists, musicians, and all individuals whose identity and livelihood are connected to art. When artistic tools are set ablaze, a legitimate and profound concern arises as to what fate may await the human beings who embody that very culture and artistic expression.This act constitutes a clear violation of fundamental cultural rights recognized in authoritative international instruments, including:The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (particularly Article 27)The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (particularly Article 19)The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (particularly Article 15)The right to participate in cultural life, to enjoy the arts, and to access cultural heritage are inalienable rights of all human beings.Moreover, under current policies, art in Afghanistan has effectively been rendered prohibited, and artistic activities under Taliban rule are subject to extensive restrictions. Artists, poets, and cultural actors face systematic exclusion, severe limitations, and security threats. Many remain in precarious and uncertain conditions, seeking safe pathways to continue their lives and professional activities, while their sources of livelihood and professional identity have been severely undermined.We call upon the Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council, particularly the Special Rapporteurs in the field of cultural rights, and the situation of…

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 administrative affairs of the courts. However, a careful examination shows that it is incompatible with the fundamental standards of public law, the principles of fair trial, and the accepted rules of international law. In reality, the main problem with this document is not limited merely to its content, but lies in its legal nature itself; because both formally and substantively, the text lacks the essential elements required to be recognised as a law or a valid legal norm.In the philosophy of law and norm theory, a rule is considered law only when it is produced within a coherent legal system, enjoys social and political legitimacy, is compatible with principles of justice and human dignity, and is expressed through proper legal language and structure. Accordingly, not every signed text or decree issued by a ruling power necessarily creates law; rather, it acquires legal validity only when it embodies fundamental criteria such as clarity, certainty, predictability, general applicability, non-discrimination, proportionality, and accountability. When a document lacks these criteria, at best it is a political directive, and at worst, an instrument for consolidating domination and legitimising structural violence. In other words, such a text does not limit power; instead, it absolutizes power and strips rights of their civilising function.The Taliban’s charter faces a profound crisis precisely at this point. A document intended to regulate the judicial system must clearly define the jurisdiction of courts, procedural principles, the right to defence, standards of proof, judicial independence, mechanisms…

Date: 23/01/2026Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+) considers the Taliban’s new regulation issued on 4th of January 2026 as Criminal Procedure Code for Courts to be a document that institutionalises systematic human rights violations and consolidates rule by coercion—a document founded neither on the will of the people, nor on law, nor on accepted legal standards. By imposing an ideological and exclusive interpretation of religion, this regulation severely restricts and strips away fundamental human rights.This regulation stands in clear contradiction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and international covenants, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.HRD+ emphasises that:This regulation lacks legal and moral legitimacy and cannot serve as the basis for a just order.The international community has a duty to formally condemn it and to refrain from any form of normalisation.Accountability and targeted sanctions against those who order and perpetrate violations must be pursued.Practical and immediate support for victims—especially women, youth, and minorities—must be strengthened.HRD+ warns that silence and inaction in the face of this regulation amount to the gradual acceptance of institutionalised violence, structural discrimination, and the erasure of human dignity in Afghanistan. Historical experience has shown that no system built on coercion, fear, and the denial of humanity can endure.We once again reaffirm our commitment to defending human dignity, fundamental freedoms, and justice without discrimination, and we call upon all international institutions, states, awakened consciences, and human rights defenders to adopt a clear, responsible, and effective stance against this evident historical regression. Download English PDF Download Persian PDF Decree Document PDF

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 shared transparently.The organisation of this tribunal was the result of a joint initiative proposed by four dynamic human rights organisations: the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organisation (AHRDO), the Organization for Policy Research and Development (DROPS), Rawadari, and Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+). Since beginning 2024, these four civil society organisations have persistently advocated at the international level for the establishment of a people’s tribunal in support of human rights in Afghanistan.Accordingly, it was essential for these organisations to provide precise evidence and information to the International People’s Tribunal in order to confirm the appropriate conditions for convening a special tribunal dedicated to supporting the rights of Afghan women. Ultimately, after sustained efforts and the submission of analyses, reports, and documentation on the human rights situation of women in Afghanistan, the International People’s Tribunal reviewed and approved the proposal—an achievement that constitutes a major milestone in human rights advocacy.This article adopts the descriptive and an analytical approach to introduce the function of people’s tribunals to Afghan and international audiences. Particular attention is given to their background, methods of operation, and role, followed by a primary focus on the People’s Tribunal in support of Afghan women. A significant number of civil society organisations and human rights activists operate outside the country and maintain links with governments, international structures, and global civil and human rights institutions. In addition, many Afghan youths are studying at universities around the world. This article seeks to inform and connect these dynamic groups so…

Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+) expresses its deep and grave concern and strongly condemns the arrest of Ms. Nazera Rashidi, a committed journalist in Kunduz province, carried out by the Taliban intelligence services. This action constitutes a clear and systematic violation of fundamental freedoms, particularly freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and women’s rights in Afghanistan.According to credible information, Ms. Rashidi was arrested on Tuesday morning at around 8:00 a.m., after receiving a phone call and while leaving her private residence. Local sources confirm that at the time of her arrest she was suffering from poor physical health and that she had previously been subjected to repeated threats and pressure due to her professional media activities.The arbitrary arrest of Nazera Rashidi is a blatant violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the right to seek, receive, and impart information through any media and regardless of frontiers. The suppression of journalists, especially women journalists, represents a direct breach of this fundamental principle.This action also stands in complete contradiction to Article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which rejects any form of coercion, threat, or organized repression that results in the violation of individuals’ basic rights. The arrest of journalists for carrying out their professional duties is a clear example of abuse of power and a violation of international obligations.Furthermore, the Taliban’s treatment of Ms. Rashidi constitutes a comprehensive violation of the principles and commitments enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which obliges states to eliminate structural discrimination against women in all spheres, including access to work, freedom of expression, social participation, and personal security. Targeting women journalists reflects entrenched gender…

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 Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan before the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal, to address the impunity around gender persecution in Afghanistan.The request led to the submission of an Indictment, followed by public hearings on the situation of women in Afghanistan, which were held in Madrid at the ICAM, located at Calle de Serrano 9, from October 8 to 10, 2025. Following the procedures outlined in the PPT Statute [1], the Indictment was recognised as fully in line with the Tribunal’s competences and terms of reference, as documented in the series of Judgements adopted by the Tribunal over the past four decades.A few introductory remarks could be useful for better understanding both the procedures and the historical, cultural and legal background of the PPT, which was formally established in 1979 as a follow-up to the two Russell Tribunals on Vietnam (1966–1967) and Latin American dictatorships (1974–1976). The PPT is a tool designed to promote and monitor the implementation of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Peoples [2], which was proclaimed in Algiers on 4 July 1976. As the decolonisation process reached its official conclusion, it became evident that the States’ interpretation of the universality of human rights was, in practice, effectively transforming people from their collective identity as subjects with inviolable personal and collective rights into objects, and thus also victims of violations of their rights in a context of full impunity. This transformation occurred in the absence of an independent international court recognised and…

11 December 2025Today’s judgment by the People’s Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan is a historic and decisive affirmation of what Afghan women have been saying for more than four years: that the systematic erasure of women from public life under Taliban rule is not merely discrimination, but a crime under international law.The Tribunal has ruled that the Taliban and the de facto authorities in Afghanistan are responsible for crimes against humanity, including gender persecution. This gives further moral and political weight to the lived reality of millions of Afghan women and girls who have been stripped of their rights to education, work, healthcare, freedom of movement, and public participation.This Tribunal was created because Afghan women have been denied justice at every level. Today’s judgment makes clear that their suffering is not invisible, not forgotten, and not beyond the reach of international law. The world now has a formal legal record of what is happening in Afghanistan. There can now be no claim of uncertainty, ambiguity, or lack of evidence. What remains is the political will to act.This Tribunal would not have been possible without the courage of the witnesses. We honor the extraordinary women who came forward to testify from inside Afghanistan and in exile, often at great personal risk. Their testimony, their stories, their words shaped this judgment. Their voices now form part of the international legal record and cannot be erased.This judgement also delivers a clear message to the international community. Silence, inaction, delays, normalization, or engagement without conditionality are no longer defensible. Engagement that ignores women’s rights can now carry legal, political, and moral consequences.Today, we, the undersigned organizations, demand that governments, international institutions, and the United Nations to act without delay to:Deliver a direct, clear, united and powerful message to the Taliban that their…

27 October 2025Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+) expresses its profound concern and strongly condemns the widespread and organized campaign of arrests, harassment, systematic pressure, and the forced expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. These actions constitute a clear violation of fundamental principles of international law, humanitarian obligations, customary norms on refugee protection, and basic human dignity.According to credible international reports and civil society findings, from 2023 to early 2025 Pakistan has deported around 600,000 Afghan refugees and forced between 800,000 to one million others into deportation without distinguishing their residency status. Women, human rights defenders, journalists, and other vulnerable individuals in Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Quetta have been detained without individual assessment and face the imminent risk of deportation. There are reports of journalists and activists wanted by the Taliban who, after being detained in Pakistan, were returned to Afghanistan without any legal process.Former military personnel and security employees—who face risks of torture, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial killing in Afghanistan—have been taken out of camps and compelled to return. Ethnic and religious minorities and other vulnerable groups have also been listed for expulsion. Civil society activists, artists, and musicians have reported that Pakistani police detained and deported them solely by labeling them as “illegal.”These accounts demonstrate that the deportation process in Pakistan is collective, lacking individual examination, and carried out with violence, humiliation, and complete denial of access to legal counsel and judicial procedures. Many arrests occur at night, suddenly, and without prior notice—clear examples of forced return and widespread human rights violations.Although Pakistan is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the principle of non-refoulement is a binding rule of customary international law, obligating all states. Forcibly returning individuals to Afghanistan—where they face risks of torture, political persecution, gender-based violence, enforced disappearance, or death—directly violates the…

Date: September 29, 2025Time: 10:00 AM (New York Time)Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York – Room CR 11Event 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 of movement, and participation in public life. What has unfolded amounts to gender apartheid and, in many cases, crimes against humanity under international law. Ethnic and religious minorities, human rights defenders, journalists, and former security personnel have faced arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.Against this backdrop, the event “Erased but Not Forgotten: Voices for Justice and Accountability in Afghanistan”, a joint effort led by the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the UN and the Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+) and it is secretariat Civil Society and Human Rights Network – CSHRN brought together HRDs, women’s rights activists, legal experts, representatives of UN Member States, and civil society leaders at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The gathering became a vital platform to amplify survivor-centered perspectives and to press for stronger international accountability mechanisms.Throughout the session, speakers and panelists underscored the urgent need for all-tools accountability approaches—from independent investigations into human rights abuses, to survivor-centered justice, to greater international solidarity with Afghan civil society. Advocacy missions and high-level discussions highlighted not only the human cost of ongoing persecution but also the responsibility of the international community to act.By uniting survivors, defenders, activists, and global partners, the event transformed concern into action-oriented dialogue. It reaffirmed that justice, accountability, and dignity for the Afghan people cannot be delayed and that the international community must remain committed to supporting Afghanistan’s path toward peace and human rights. Download English PDF

In recent days, the Taliban authorities have imposed further restrictions on the media in Afghanistan. Despite the suffocating atmosphere and intense surveillance by the regime, media outlets in the country continue their efforts to inform the public and make use of any remaining space for journalism. However, even with utmost caution and adherence to neutrality, Afghan media continue to face severe censorship and restrictions from the Taliban.The order to suspend the broadcasting of Shamshad TV programs—a network that has operated in Afghanistan for many years and is considered one of the country’s reputable media outlets—serves as a clear example of such censorship and suppression targeting the media community.The Human Rights Defenders Plus – HRD+ condemns this unjust and oppressive decision in the strongest possible terms, describing it as a reprehensible act against freedom of expression, media freedom, and human rights as a whole.HRD+ calls on all civil society organizations, media institutions, political groups, and intellectuals inside and outside Afghanistan to mobilize in defense of media freedom and the protection of citizens’ rights, and to engage in advocacy both nationally and internationally.Furthermore, HRD+ urgently calls upon all international human rights monitoring bodies, global institutions working for human rights, and the UN Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and on freedom of expression to take the necessary actions to support and protect freedom of expression in Afghanistan. Download Persian PDF