Reports

Date: 6 July 2025Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+) expresses its deep concern and profound sorrow as we strongly condemn the expanding, unjustified, and degrading forced deportations of Afghan migrants and refugees by the Islamic Republic of Iran. In recent weeks, thousands of Afghan migrants—including women, children, the elderly, the sick, and young people—have been deported or are at imminent risk of deportation without the minimum legal and humanitarian standards being observed. This unjust process continues while many of these individuals possess valid residence permits, registered asylum cases, or are in clear need of international protection.These hasty deportations, accompanied by the structural and systematic violation of migrants and refugees human rights, reveal painful aspects of a large-scale humanitarian crisis:Widespread and severe depression among young people, especially female students, who are suddenly deprived of their right to education and a brighter future;Psychological breakdowns among migrant women, who, due to severed social ties, lost security, and family separation, are placed in extreme vulnerability;Increasing deprivation of fundamental rights such as education, healthcare, job security, shelter, and basic human services, which completely disregard their human dignity and lead to deep and lasting social and psychological consequences.Independent and field reports further reveal numerous cases of:Arrest and deportation of migrants without prior notice, often in the middle of the night or during work and rest;Separation of family members and severe psychological trauma for children due to these separations;Confiscation or loss of migrants’ personal belongings;Abandonment in dire conditions at border areas without food, water, medicine, or shelter.Serious WarningMany of those deported or at risk of deportation belong to groups facing serious threats of persecution, including: Journalists and media workers, women protesting against the Taliban’s repressive policies, civil and human rights activists, former military personnel and security forces of the previous government, former Afghan government employees.Under international…

In the 2024 edition of the South Asia State of Minorities Report, the Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN) presents the Afghanistan chapter, highlighting the severe exclusion faced by minorities under Taliban rule. This year's theme—Economic, Political and Social Participation and Representation of Minorities—reveals how Afghanistan's religious, ethnic, and gender minorities are systematically denied their rights and civic participation.The chapter documents the collapse of constitutional protections, with communities such as Hazaras, Shias, Hindus, Sikhs, and women enduring violence, discrimination, and erasure from public life. Human rights defenders and journalists, especially from minority backgrounds, are silenced or forced into exile.CSHRN’s contribution reflects our commitment to defending civic space and amplifying marginalized voices. We urge regional and international actors to act in solidarity with Afghan minorities and support efforts to restore inclusive and democratic rights in the country. Download English PDF

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 documents grave human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, severe torture, and psychological abuse—carried out in facilities that remain closed to independent monitoring.Rather than anonymized summaries, the report centers first-person testimonies from human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, and activists—many of whom continue to face threats even after release. Their accounts reveal how torture is used not only to extract information but to punish dissent, silence resistance, and impose ideological control. As one former human rights lawyer recalled:“They told me: ‘You worked with foreigners to corrupt Afghan women.’ Then they burned my leg with a hot rod. That mark is still there.”Others shared harrowing experiences of rape, waterboarding, and prolonged solitary confinement. For many, the trauma continues post-release under constant Taliban surveillance. As one survivor expressed:“Freedom from Taliban prisons does not mean true liberation.”We at CSHRN stand in solidarity with all survivors and commend their courage in sharing these stories. Their testimonies are not only evidence—they are a form of defiance against repression and erasure.We call on the international community to:Establish effective accountability mechanisms,Strengthen support for Afghan human rights organizations,Ensure urgent protection and asylum pathways for those at risk. Download English PDF

Date: 2025-06-20Unfortunately, the global political situation — particularly in the Middle East — has become more volatile than ever, with war and violence on the rise. The ongoing conflict in Iran has triggered widespread chaos in major cities and strategic regions, directly affecting the population.This war, rooted in serious contradictions within international law, humanitarian international law, and international human rights law, has resulted in numerous casualties and displaced countless innocent civilians.Among the most vulnerable are Afghan citizens residing in Iran as migrants and asylum seekers. They have now become one of the most at-risk social groups. Regrettably, no institution currently exists to provide even the most basic support to this large and distressed community. Due to legal, social, and cultural challenges, Afghan migrants bear a disproportionate burden of this war and are suffering from intensified displacement and hardship.In light of this critical political, social, and economic crisis, Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+) respectfully calls on the international community to take urgent action on the following points:Mass Return of Afghan Migrants: The current situation in Iran is leading to a collective return of Afghan migrants to Afghanistan. We urge global migration support institutions to establish and assign a special emergency response mechanism to provide essential services, including legal assistance and migration-related support to these returnees.Support for War Victims: Among Afghan migrants there are war’s victims. However, due to legal complexities, providing support to bereaved families, transferring the wounded to safe locations, and facilitating the transportation and burial of deceased individuals has become extremely difficult. We specifically call on humanitarian organizations — particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross — to not withhold urgent and basic support in these areas.Access to Safe Shelter: For Afghan migrants who have fled large cities, access to safe shelter has become a vital…

29/05/2025The 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 Mawlawi Abdul Qader Qanet in Kabul and Mawlawi Bashir Ahmad Hanafi in Helmand have been detained. According to reports, these religious scholars, critical of the Taliban, remain imprisoned by this group.The Taliban Ministry of Information and Culture continuously targets the media, escalating restrictions further. Political and economic programs have been banned, and the publication of images of living beings is now prohibited in at least 17 provinces, encompassing approximately 50% of Afghanistan’s territory. Numerous journalists have been threatened, and based on our information and documentation, currently 16 journalists and media workers remain imprisoned. Compared to last year, the situation for journalists has significantly worsened, with increasing numbers being arrested and jailed.Taliban intelligence agencies and religious police have drastically limited the role of civil society organizations, unjustifiably revoking their permission to operate. Human rights activists and defenders of women’s rights constantly face threats and humiliation, with women’s roles essentially eliminated from society. Only a limited number of women, selected solely based on the Taliban’s needs, remain employed in specific offices. Discrimination against various social groups has peaked, leaving ethnic communities in severe insecurity.Widespread unemployment and growing poverty have plunged the society into economic crisis and misery. Poverty, lack of social security, and extensive human rights violations have forced many citizens to leave the country, despite extremely challenging migration conditions. At the same time, Iran and Pakistan forcibly return tens of thousands of migrants back to Afghanistan, exacerbating food prices, housing shortages, and environmental strain in major Afghan cities.Amid these grave…

15 May 2025Afghanistan Transitional Justice Coordination Group (ATJCG) expresses its deepest concern over recent revelations from the BBC Panorama investigation about alarming allegations of war crimes by UK Special Forces during their deployment in Afghanistan. These allegations include the execution of civilians, children, and detainees, and planting weapons to fabricate combat situations.These findings suggest the existence of systematic criminal conduct, falsified military reporting, failures of command responsibility and political oversight, and a lack of regard for Afghan lives by UK Special Forces. The conduct in question spanned several years and, according to testimonies, may have been known to senior military and political figures, including former Prime Minister David Cameron. These revelations necessitate independent, comprehensive investigations that extend to the highest levels of command.If substantiated, these acts may constitute breaches of the Geneva Conventions, war crimes under the Rome Statute (Art 8), and violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Art 6, the right to life). The UK is obliged under international law to investigate, prosecute, and punish war crimes and to provide effective remedies and reparations for victims. According to UN Basic Principles on Remedies and Reparation (2005), victims have a right to truth, justice, prompt reparations, and a guarantee of non-repetition. Moreover, the UK also has legal responsibility under SOFA agreements, signed by Afghanistan and NATO, to investigate and prosecute these allegations.Justice is specifically vital for Afghanistan as its people have suffered for nearly half a century of armed conflict, marked by impunity and repeated cycles of violence. They have endured extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances, persecution and enforced displacement. With every shift in power, new actors emerged, but the suffering, pain and trauma of victims persisted. For far too long, these harms have gone unacknowledged and unaddressed.In light of these traumatising revelations, ATJCG…

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 and ill-treatmentFrom February 24 to April 4, 2025, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) convened its 58th regular session in Geneva, Switzerland. This session brought together representatives from Member States, international organizations, and civil society to address pressing human rights issues worldwide. Afghan human rights defenders, civil society organizations, and international allies gathered to shed light on the escalating repression, particularly the ongoing crackdown on women’s rights, freedom of expression, and the targeting of activists.Throughout the week, Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN), Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+), World Organization against Torture (OMCT), and Afghanistan Democracy and Development Organization (ADDO) brought together a dedicated group of Afghan human rights defenders to participate in the session, amplifying Afghan voices and advocating for justice. Alongside fellow Afghan activists and international allies, we engaged in crucial advocacy efforts, ensuring that Afghanistan remained a key focus of the HRC 58th session. This newsletter captures the key discussions, interventions, and outcomes related to Afghanistan, showcasing the unwavering commitment of Afghan civil society on the global stage. Complete Report (PDF)

Speaker: Mohammad Asghar SurushI 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 the brunt of this repression. The systematic erasure of their rights—bans on education, work, and public life—amounts to gender apartheid. Their voices are silenced, their futures stolen.The reports of torture, inhumane treatment, and forced confessions from OMCT and HRD+ are deeply alarming. Political prisoners endure harsh conditions and unfair trials, with no hope for justice.Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries face detention, insults and forced deportation.This Council must act. We urge:Our neighbouring countries, specifically Iran and Pakistan to respect the rights of Afghan citizens according to accepted international norms. Mass deportation is a serios concern about the lives of HRDs and other vulnerable groups.Immediate release of detained activists and journalists unjustly imprisoned for their work.An end to gender-based discrimination, ensuring women and girls can access education and employmentWe repeat our call on the council to create an independent accountability mechanism to monitor, document, preserve and follow-up on human rights violations and hold perpetrators accountable.Afghanistan must not be forgotten!Thank you. Watch The Meeting

Date: 28 – February – 25Pakistan’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, political repression, honor-related killings, and other severe human rights violations. While the international community has made promises for their relocation—including immigration interviews and visa appointments for countries such as the USA, Germany, Australia, France, and the United Kingdom—Pakistan has increased pressure on Afghan asylum seekers. This includes forced migration, detentions, exorbitant visa fees, and now, the imminent risk of mass deportations.Ongoing Human Rights Violations in Pakistan:The Pakistan police have detained human rights defenders, activists, children (both unaccompanied and with families), pregnant women, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities—including many who hold active visas and legal rights to remain in the country. Women and girls are at heightened risk of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly in Pakistani jails and upon return to Afghanistan. Many lack access to justice, legal representation, and fair refugee status determination procedures. Deporting them under these conditions violates their basic human rights and contradicts international human rights law, which explicitly states that asylum seekers cannot be penalized and forced deported.Pakistan’s obligations under international human rights law regarding Afghan asylum seekers and Refugees:Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): Pakistan ratified the CRC in 1990. The CRC protects child refugees and prohibits their detention and deportation, as such actions harm their well-being. However, as mentioned in the letter, Pakistan has detained children, both unaccompanied and with their families, which is a violation of its obligations under the CRC.International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): Pakistan ratified the ICCPR in 2010. Article…