Civil Society and Women are Primary Victims of Taliban’s Expanding Influence in Afghanistan
The escalating expansion of Taliban influence and control over multiple regions of Afghanistan, coupled with rising military clashes and attacks, has intensified concerns about blatant violations of human rights in the country. The widening of military confrontations has led to cascading crises including malnutrition, rising casualties and injuries among civilians, and the displacement of vast populations, raising the likelihood of a humanitarian catastrophe.
Furthermore, the increasing Taliban dominance in various regions has created a perilous situation for civil society activists, journalists, and particularly women’s rights activists.
Given the Taliban’s dark history of gross human rights violations, should the current situation persist and the Taliban achieve complete control over Afghanistan’s government, widespread and severe violations of human rights for many Afghan people, particularly women’s rights, are to be expected.
Meanwhile, supportive stances taken by some Iranian Islamic Republic officials, as one of Afghanistan’s most important neighbors, have added to the intensity of these concerns.
Hadi Ghahemi, director of the Human Rights Campaign in Iran, referring to the dire and inhumane conditions in Afghanistan, stated: “Experience has shown that the primary victims of the continuation of the current situation are civilians who suffer both from the crisis of war and are deprived of their human rights under Taliban rule.”
According to Hadi Ghahemi, “civil activists, journalists, and women’s rights activists in Afghanistan have constantly faced serious dangers, and with the continuation of the current situation and Taliban dominance, the lives of these activists are threatened more than ever before.”
The Human Rights Campaign in Iran views the Taliban’s dominance over Afghanistan and its takeover of power as a serious warning for the continuation of blatant human rights violations and the promotion of violence and discrimination against women, and regards the political support of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of Afghanistan’s most important neighbors, as a clear manifestation of support for human rights violations.
The continuation of internal conflicts in Afghanistan has further increased cases of blatant human rights violations in the country. The current situation is a serious warning for civil society, journalists, and women’s rights activists in the country who have worked for years under the most difficult conditions to advance civil society and enable citizens, particularly women, to enjoy their rights.
Over the past year, a wave of kidnappings and assassinations of civil activists and journalists in Afghanistan has intensified significantly, increasing concerns about rising violence against the country’s civil society. Now, with the Taliban’s increasing dominance over various regions of Afghanistan, the likelihood of continued violence against civil activists and journalists has increased further.
Another concerning aspect of human rights violations in Afghanistan is the increased pressure on women and girls and their deprivation of basic human rights such as education, work, and social activities under Taliban rule.
On Thursday, July 15th, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) office in Kabul issued a statement expressing concern about serious human rights violations in Afghanistan resulting from intensified ongoing military attacks. The statement, referring to reports of killings, mistreatment, harassment, and widespread discrimination in Afghanistan, stated that parties to the conflict in Afghanistan are obligated to respect human rights and the dignity of the Afghan people, particularly women and girls.
The displacement of people from their homes and cities and some military forces stationed on the border following Taliban attacks, along with the onset of a heavy wave of migration, is another existing crisis in present-day Afghanistan that has brought considerable suffering to displaced persons.
Almost a year ago, multiple reports of Iranian border forces’ treatment of some Afghan migrants sparked waves of anger among the Afghan people. Reports that alleged Iranian border guards had treated Afghan migrants in an inhumane manner with beatings and abuse.
Following the escalation of conflicts in recent days, reports emerged of some Afghan border forces taking refuge in Iran following Taliban attacks.
Nevertheless, the positions taken by some Iranian Islamic Republic officials regarding the Taliban and their implicit support for the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan have intensified serious concerns about alignment between the Islamic Republic and the Taliban.
Source: Human Rights Campaign in Iran
