US Special Envoy Urges Taliban to Release Imprisoned Women Activists on Human Rights Day

Earlier, the US Treasury Department had imposed sanctions on Khalid Hanafi, Taliban’s Minister of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and Fariduddin Mahmood, head of the Afghanistan Academy of Sciences.

On Saturday, Decker wrote on X social media platform that Hanafi and Mahmood are complicit in serious human rights abuses against women and girls in Afghanistan.

On Friday, the US Treasury Department stated that these two Taliban officials are supporters of the prohibition on girls' education beyond the sixth grade.

Hanafi and Mahmood are among the people close to Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban.

These two senior Taliban officials are among the five members opposing the reopening of girls' schools due to their extreme views.

Following the takeover of power in Afghanistan, the Taliban closed girls' schools beyond the sixth grade and banned girls from attending university.

Taliban’s Ministry of Propagation of Virtues and Prevention of Vice has imposed strict regulations against women over the past two years. The ministry has banned women from traveling, going to parks, and restaurants, and taking part in sports activities.

In addition, the Taliban has consistently suppressed women's protests, arrested women's rights activists, and subjected them to torture.

Amiri expressed her views on X social media platform this Friday, emphasising the need for accountability for those suppressing Afghan women and girls.

Her statement came shortly after the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on two Taliban cabinet members for their significant roles in restricting women's rights and perpetrating widespread human rights abuses. The sanctioned individuals include Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s Minister of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and Fariduddin Mahmood, head of the Afghanistan Academy of Sciences.

Amiri's message reinforced the urgency of holding those responsible accountable: "We must continue to hold accountable those involved in repressing the women, and girls of Afghanistan.”

This announcement coincided with the end of the academic year in Afghanistan on 7 December. On this day, hundreds of thousands of female students completed their 6th-grade education. However, the Taliban's directive has barred these young girls from continuing their education in secondary schools.

Emotional scenes unfolded as these girls bid each other farewell, many with tears in their eyes and prayers on their lips. The sharing of farewell photos and videos of these sixth-grade girls on social media has elicited a wide array of reactions, highlighting the poignant reality of their situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban.

Among them, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Afghanistan, also emphasised on the necessity of such an investigation.

Bennett emphasised that there has been a prolonged period of impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and human rights violations in Afghanistan.

The UN official focused on a comprehensive and unbiased investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, stressing on accountability for these crimes.

However, Bennett did not mention any specific cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed in Afghanistan.

He mentioned the deprivation of women and gender discrimination in Afghanistan as a potential subject of investigation concerning the violation of human rights in the country. He said that it may be possible to open a case for it in international courts.

He added that according to international laws, the United Nations does not have the authority to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity, and it is exclusive to the International Criminal Court.

The meeting was held on Friday titled "Accountability for Crimes Committed in Afghanistan: ICC and Beyond", in the presence of four prominent human rights experts.

The meeting was held with a warning that there is a risk of overlooking war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan.

In this meeting, it was emphasised that with the rise of the Taliban and the escalation of human rights violations in Afghanistan under their rule, the demand for justice and accountability is more than ever.

The United Nations began the meeting reminding that Afghanistan has witnessed serious violations of human rights in the past four decades, and so far, domestic and international efforts to respond to these war crimes and crimes against humanity in this country have been insufficient.

The International Criminal Court resumed its investigation into the crimes of the Taliban and ISIS a year ago, and the calls for this investigation have since intensified.

The United Nations meeting, held on Friday, focused on the investigation by the International Criminal Court and underscored the imperative to hold those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan accountable.

This most wanted list encompasses individuals operating across Afghanistan and in at least seven other countries.

The document, verified by the Taliban Intelligence Agency's "05" and "031" units, categorises the individuals into two distinct groups. The first group, consisting of 587 names, identifies those associated with armed groups like the NRF and the AFF, active in 28 Afghan provinces. The document also indicates that some of these individuals operate in Iran, Tajikistan, and other unspecified countries.

Laghman province is highlighted as a significant hub for these groups, with 98 individuals identified, followed by Panjshir with 78, Parwan with 45, and Baghlan with 36. The list also includes individuals from Kabul, Kapisa, Badakhshan, Herat, Samangan, Nuristan, Badghis, Ghor, and Balkh provinces, with each region reporting 12 to 32 alleged members.

The document further notes that fewer than ten individuals from each of the provinces of Maidan Wardak, Kandahar, Kunduz, Nangarhar, Sar-e Pol, Farah, Kunar, Logar, Ghazni, Khost, Daikundi, and Helmand are on the list. Additionally, nearly 40 individuals' activities are linked to Iran, Tajikistan, and locations outside Afghanistan.

The Taliban has labelled these individuals as either directly involved in "evil and corrupt" activities or as collaborators. The roles identified include leaders, financial officers, arms distributors, and secret allies.

The second part of the list targets 1,054 individuals purportedly affiliated with ISIS, especially the ISIS Khorasan group. Roles such as commanders, financial officers, communication officers, bomb transfer officers, and general members are specified. Furthermore, the list accuses some individuals of recruitment and propaganda efforts on social media for ISIS Khorasan.

Designations within ISIS include military base heads, intelligence coordinators, "Salafist" preachers, and trainers for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants.

The largest concentration of these alleged ISIS members is in Kunar province, with 296 individuals, followed by Nangarhar with 284, Laghman with 80, and Kabul with 67. The Taliban intelligence document also mentions Pakistan, Uzbekistan, India, Chechnya, Turkey, China, and Iran as additional operational regions for over 80 members of the ISIS Khorasan group.

Mujahid clarified that the Taliban has made no commitments to anyone regarding such a government setup.

Mujahid responded to Hekmatyar's claims, urging caution in making unverified statements. Hekmatyar, the leader of the Hizb-e-Islami party, previously stated that the US proposed a list and requested the Taliban to form an inclusive government as part of the Doha agreement and warned of supporting opposition groups if the Taliban failed to comply.

A source told Afghanistan International that the US's proposed list for an "inclusive government" was discussed in Taliban's cabinet meetings. Hekmatyar, in a virtual party meeting in Kabul, noted a shift in the US's tone and stance towards Afghanistan and inferred the involvement of strategically interested countries in recent anti-Taliban meetings in Moscow, Dushanbe, Vienna, and other locations.

These gatherings, including those led by the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan under Ahmad Massoud, seem to have bolstered the unity among Taliban opponents. Massoud hailed the recent Vienna meeting's outcomes as significant. At this meeting, Fazl Ahmad Manawi, ex-Justice Minister and National Resistance Front senior member, discussed agreements on a "roadmap" to resolve the Afghan crisis. The Vienna meeting saw participation from leaders of 29 Afghan political groups and representatives from Western countries, including the US, the UK, Austria, Germany, Spain, and Norway.