Amnesty International on Monday called for an immediate end to attacks against human rights defenders in Afghanistan including activists, journalists and media workers, calling for protection and accountability
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th May, 2021) Amnesty International on Monday called for an immediate end to attacks against human rights defenders in Afghanistan including activists, journalists and media workers, calling for protection and accountability.
"The threats, harassment, intimidation and attacks against human rights defenders, activists, journalists and media workers in Afghanistan must end," the international human rights organization said in a statement.
According to the statement, from September 2020 to May 2021, 17 human rights defenders were killed in Afghanistan including nine journalists. Over 200 human rights defenders and media representatives reported that they had received serious threats.
A United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) report from February 2021 showed that 65 media practitioners and human rights defenders have been killed in the country since 2018 and in most cases no attackers have been arrested.
"These attacks are aimed at silencing peaceful dissent and those working on human rights, especially women's rights, as well as those seeking justice and accountability for human rights violations. The timing of escalating attacks against human rights defenders, activists and journalists appears to be linked to the ongoing peace process between the Government of Afghanistan, the United States, and the Taliban," the report further states.
Amnesty International is calling on the international community, as stakeholders of the current political processes in the country including the US, United Kingdom, European Union and other NATO member states to protect the rights of all people, especially those being targeted.
The report states that female rights defenders, journalists and minority groups have been among the worst affected.
The human rights organization has proposed seven steps the government of Afghanistan and other international actors could take in order to combat the problem alongside the newly established government. These include providing effective protection to human rights defenders at risk, offering human rights defenders immediate practical support and actively ensuring justice and redress for violence towards human rights defenders.
