In a detailed statement released on Thursday, Amnesty International stated that Taliban authorities are committing crimes against the people of Afghanistan with "absolute impunity”.
The organisation added that while the Afghan people struggle with despair, three years of Taliban rule and the international community has failed take any meaningful action.
The human rights organisation compiled a report based on interviews with 150 Afghans, including women's rights defenders, academics, protesting women, activists, youth, civil society members, and journalists.
The report highlights the concerns and responses of the international community regarding Afghanistan's future.
Samira Hamidi, Amnesty International Regional Campaigner for South Asia, said, “We spoke with people representing a cross-section of Afghan society throughout the world who overwhelmingly believe that the international community has failed the people of Afghanistan. Not only have they failed to hold the Taliban accountable for the crimes and human rights violations, they have also failed to come up with a strategic direction to prevent any further harm”.
Hamidi stated that three years later, the global community's failure to take meaningful action on the human rights crisis in Afghanistan remains a shame for the world.
Amnesty International's statement mentioned that these interviews were conducted across 21 provinces in Afghanistan and in 10 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, and Pakistan.
According to the report, over 20 women's rights activists across 21 provinces in Afghanistan reported losing their jobs in various fields. Once politicians, journalists, teachers, and lawyers, they now feel they are "no-one" with limited opportunities for employment.
Amnesty International quoted a woman named Razia, who said “the women who have lost their agency, jobs and economic status are told that they deserve it, and that the Taliban return is a positive step to shut [down] those who were preaching adultery in the name of human rights and women’s rights”.
The organisation also noted that since the Taliban's rise to power, Afghanistan's judicial system has collapsed, and the group's leader ordered the full implementation of Sharia law in November 2022.
According to Amnesty International, Ahmad Ahmadi, a former defence attorney, stated that the Taliban had announced there was no longer any need for lawyers during trials. He added that they do not believe in the judicial system and are deeply committed to their own interpretation of Sharia.
Amnesty International further stated that the Taliban viewed human rights activists, protesting women, journalists, and political activists as "enemies," leading to their gradual disappearance from the public sphere.
According to the organisation, some were forcibly disappeared, arbitrarily detained, and imprisoned, while others were tortured. Many fled the country, with a large number stranded in Iran, Pakistan, and Türkiye.
Nonetheless, according to Amnesty International, civil society space in Afghanistan has significantly shrunk.
Amnesty International believes that the Taliban have created an "environment of fear and absolute control." The organisation quoted a women's rights activist who said that those who once carried out suicide bombings and killed civilians are now in power.
