Civil Society Organizations’ Request for the Prosecution of the Taliban in the International Court
A number of human rights organizations and civil society activists, in a joint statement, have called for holding inclusive consultative meetings with those affected by the violation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, in order to strengthen efforts for prosecuting the Taliban in the International Court of Justice.
Fifty-nine organizations and civil society activists, including Human Rights Watch, the Tolerance movement, and women’s movements, emphasized in a statement released today, Tuesday, March 4, following a meeting in Berlin, that the participation of those affected by the violations will enhance the legitimacy and richness of the Taliban prosecution process.
They called for the active participation of human rights activists, women’s rights specialists, researchers, representatives of ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups, survivors of gender-based violence, people with disabilities, the LGBT+ community, and youth in these meetings.
The statement reads: “The participation of the affected community strengthens the capacity to mobilize public opinion and connects the legal process to millions of Afghan women and girls.”
These organizations have called for full transparency in legal proceedings and for allocating resources to raise awareness among communities affected by the violations through Afghanistan’s civil society organizations.
They also urged Muslim countries to declare their support for this process and to consider the violation of the aforementioned convention as “unacceptable” wherever it occurs.
In October 2023, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands warned the Taliban that if gender discrimination continues, legal action would be taken against the group. Twenty-five other countries supported this move.
Afghanistan signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 2003, but after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, severe restrictions were imposed, including depriving women of education and work.
Human rights organizations emphasize that the Taliban’s actions constitute a clear violation of the international convention and consider the prosecution of the group an essential step toward ensuring the rights of Afghan women.
