Statement by eight human rights organizations on violence against civil society activists in Afghanistan

"What is happening in Afghanistan today is reminiscent of the era of serial killings in Iran"

The escalation of the wave of kidnappings and assassinations of civil society activists and journalists in Afghanistan in recent months has raised concerns about the increase in violence against civil society in the country. The scale of violence against citizens living in Afghanistan has further increased the risk of civil and human rights activism in Afghanistan.

The Human Rights Campaign in Iran, along with several human rights organizations, has issued a statement condemning the killings, kidnappings, and assassinations of human rights activists, journalists, and civil society activists in Afghanistan, and calling the continuation of this violent trend an obstacle to peace and the advancement of democracy in the region. The statement compares the current situation in Afghanistan to the era of “chain murders” in Iran and emphasizes the impact of the violent situation in Afghanistan on Iranian civil society.

The text of the statement is as follows;

We, the civil society and human rights organizations signing this letter, express our deep concern about the new wave of kidnappings, murders, and assassinations of journalists and civil society activists in Afghanistan, and call for an immediate end to violence against freedom of expression in this country.

Afghan civil society is going through difficult days, days that smell of blood and gunpowder. In the past weeks and months, threats, kidnappings and assassinations have directly targeted Afghan journalists and civil society activists. In just three days, 15 targeted assassinations have occurred in Kabul, many of them targeting women. Six of them were women working as human rights activists, journalists and doctors.

What is happening in Afghanistan today is reminiscent of the era of serial killings (1938-1939) in Iran, which resulted in the deaths of some 80 people, including writers, translators, poets, political activists, and others. Their murders changed the course of history in Iran by eliminating the voices and ideas of those who could have influenced Iranian society and culture. We are seeing a similar trend in Afghanistan; the loss of an unimaginable proportion of those who had a voice in Afghanistan’s future through killings and enforced disappearances. Without a doubt, these events will change the course of peace and democracy in the entire region. Especially now, as international negotiations are set to determine the future power brokers of Afghanistan.

It would be naive to assume that what is happening in Afghanistan will not also affect Iranian civil society. The damage caused by the enforced disappearance and assassination of Afghan civil society activists will change political, social, and cultural relations within the country and with its neighbors.

The Afghan people are under pressure from multiple violent forces at home and abroad. Extremists in the Islamic Republic of Iran are complicit in weakening Afghan civil society and pressuring Afghan society. Not only that, we are also witnessing increasing pressure on the Afghan community living in Iran. This is demonstrated by the introduction of an inhumane plan called “Regulation of Illegal Nationals” that authorizes further repression of Afghans living in Iran.

Calls for repression of Afghans inside Iran have increased since Tolo News correspondent Lotfollah Najafzada’s interview with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, and Afghans living in Iran have been the target of racist and xenophobic attacks. Some are calling for an “end to the party” for Afghans living in Iran and demanding heavy prison sentences for any Afghan national without official documents.

Iranian interventions, along with U.S. talks with the Taliban, all ignore the needs and desires of the Afghan people and also expose journalists, activists, artists, and students to political violence. There is a connection between targeted killings and harassment and dialogue with Taliban figures about the future of Afghanistan.

We believe that the Afghan people are the sole legitimate decision-makers for the future of their country. They should be free to determine their own future without interference from other countries, especially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and without handing over political power to groups that have terrorized the Afghan people and committed crimes against humanity.

We, the human rights and civil society organizations signing this statement, consider the threats and violence against civil society activists in Afghanistan as a threat to the future peace and stability of the entire region. We call on the Government of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the United Nations, and other institutions to do their utmost to protect the lives and civic participation of Afghan journalists and civil society activists and to ensure the peaceful life of Afghans inside Iran and Afghanistan.

Signatories:

Third-party organization

Human Rights Campaign in Iran

Middle group

Unity for Iran Organization

Association for the Defense of Human Rights of Azerbaijanis in Iran

Kurdistan Human Rights Association in Iran - Geneva

All Human Rights for All Foundation in Iran

Source: Iran Human Rights Campaign