RASC News Agency: At the Afghanistan Victims’ Conference in The Hague, Netherlands, survivors of sexual abuse and gender-based violence called for the Taliban to be held accountable and urged the international community to resist normalizing relations with the group. The conference, organized by the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization, featured testimonies from three survivors and was attended by over 100 participants at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Zainab Atai, a survivor of a suicide bombing, shared her ordeal, stating, “I was attacked by a suicide bomber for no fault of my own. My only crime was aspiring to continue my education.” Similarly, Samyar Nazari, an LGBTQ+ rights activist and survivor, spoke out against the Taliban’s denial of the existence of LGBTQ+ individuals, asserting, “The Taliban refuse to acknowledge or respect the rights of LGBTQ+ people, but here I stand I exist.”
In its statement, the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization described the current situation in Afghanistan under Taliban control as “critical,” emphasizing that women and girls live under a regime of “gender apartheid.” The organization also highlighted systemic violence against ethnic and religious minorities, deliberate targeting of former government officials, and repression of media professionals. Despite these ongoing atrocities, the organization condemned the increasing normalization of relations between the Taliban and the international community, including the United Nations and various states. Hadi Marifat, the organization’s director, declared, “Afghanistan’s victims have endured betrayal for far too long.” He expressed strong support for the ICC’s investigation into gender-based violence in Afghanistan.
Marifat further stressed, “All victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity deserve to know when justice will be delivered by the ICC and its member states.” In a related development, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan announced plans to request arrest warrants for Taliban officials, reaffirming the ICC’s commitment to investigating human rights violations, particularly those targeting women in Afghanistan. Khan stated that these investigations are progressing and will soon yield tangible results.
