Amid a deepening crisis in the country, a cross-sector of Afghanistan’s people have sent an open letter to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stating their ‘grave concern’ over the lack of Afghanistan representation at the closed-door meeting currently underway in Doha.
The group of 105 signatories stated “the absence of the true representatives of the citizens of Afghanistan in such a forum is of utmost concern, especially since the reported statements of the Under-Secretary General of the UN Amina J. Mohammad, that in this gathering ‘baby steps’ may be taken leading to the recognition of the Taliban terrorist regime. We find such statements irresponsible and a shocking disregard of the despicable policies and practices of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.”
The signatories include representatives of civil society organizations, the media, and independent civil and political figures, who said they, on behalf of the large segments of the population of Afghanistan, are united in our grave concern about the closed door meeting hosted by Guterres.
The clear absence of representatives of the people of Afghanistan at the meeting, which has brought together special envoys of over 20 countries, has resulted in the group calling for the UN to avoid discussing the issue of recognition of the Taliban government and to instead take a hard-line approach to the situation.
“The meeting as we understand aims to ‘clarify expectations’ regarding apprehensions held by the Security Council of the UN and the UN member states about the Taliban’s horrific oppression of the peoples of Afghanistan, especially women, girls and all Afghans who are not members of the Taliban terrorist organization ruling the country,” the letter read.
The group stated that while they have been assured by some countries that Taliban recognition will not be on the agenda of the Doha meeting, any such consideration by the UN would in their opinion be “a clear violation of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Covenant of Civil and Political Rights and against all the covenants, declarations and documents of the human rights and the citizenship rights of the people of the world and we condemn it explicitly.”
The group appealed to the UN and its member states to not take “baby steps” towards the recognition of the Taliban and called for the UN to instead collaborate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold the Taliban leaders “accountable for their dreadful oppression and violations of the human and civil rights of the peoples of Afghanistan.”
This included the right to education and work for women and girls, the forced removals and seizure of land of indigenous groups in the northern and central parts of Afghanistan, as well as arbitrary detention, torture and persecution of peaceful demonstrators, journalists, university professors and crimes against members of the former security forces.
The group also called for limited interaction with the Taliban. “We believe that millions of people inside, even under the shadow of the Taliban rule, are declaring their hatred for the inhumane policies and practices of the Taliban by crying ‘No to the Taliban’; the Secretary General and member states of the United Nations, must pay serious attention to the call of the peoples of Afghanistan.”
The signatories are as listed below.
- Abdul Mujeeb Khalvatgar, Journalist and media activist
- Dr. Aziz Barez, former Diplomat & Director of CACASS, UK
- Mohammad Nasir Faiq, Afghanistan Permanent Representative to United Nations
- Dr. M. Nazif Shahrani, Professor of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Abdul Rahim Parvani, former diplomat
- Sayed Abdullah Ahmadi, Human Rights Defender and Founder of Digital Civil Society Institute
- Dr. Habiba Sarabi, former governor
- Abdullah Rasuly, Civil Society and Human Rights activist
- Adila Ahmadi, former advisor to state ministry of peace/women rights activist
- Kawa Aahangar, journalist and media activist
- Gulalai Akbari, former senator
- Rahim Jami, Director of Education Defenders Network (EDN)
- Lima Anwari, women rights defender
- Faramarz Baiani, former diplomat
- Dr. Abdul Mutaleb Hamed, human rights activist
- Nimatullah Elahi, former journalist and media activist
- Fahim Farwak, founder of No to Rigor Organization
- Mohammad Sabir Fahim, former journalist and media activist
- Ali Farhang, human rights activists
- Humaira Habib, former director of Sahar Radio station
- Fahim Hakim, former Vice President, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission
- Shaheer Anil, Human rights activist
- Horia Sardarzada, Gender and Afghan Women Studies Group
- Makia Monir, journalist and women rights activist
- Mir Ahmad Joyenda, human rights activist
- Mohammad Ehsan Zia, former country director, United States Institute for Peace, USAIP
- Mir Haidar Muahar, Editor in Chief, Arman e Milli Daily
- Abdul Wadood Pedram, director of HREOV
- Hasmatullah Radfar, journalist and media activist
- Aziz Rafiee, President, ACSFO
- Najla Raheel, deputy of Afghanistan Independent Bar Association
- Khalil Raofi, founder and director of Civil Society and Human Rights Activists Network
- Nooria Safi, women rights activist
- Sami Sahim, former director, Khurshid TV station
- Sanjar Sohail, publisher of Hasht e Subh daily
- Humaira Saqib, director of Afghan Women News Agency
- Roeina Shahabi, journalist and women rights activist
- Mahmoda Sonia Eqbal, former country director, Afghanistan Open Society Foundation
- Sediqullah Tawhidi, former advocacy director, Afghanistan Journalists Safety Committee
- Professor Sayed Masood, former professor of Kabul University
- Zarqa Yaftali, founder of Women Advocacy Committee
- Mahbobullah Afkhami, diplomat & human rights activists
- Dr. Batoll Haidari, Professor of University
- Hoda Khamoosh, writer, founder of the Afghan women justice movement
- Madina Darwazi, women rights activist
- Dr.Mohammad Afzali, former diplomat human rights defender
- Mustafa Mastoor, former minister of economy
- Parwana Ibrahimkhail Nijrabi, women rights activists and founder of the women movement for freedom and peace
- Tahera Nasiri, human rights defender & protester
- Zalmai Nishat, former advisor to Afghanistan CEO
- Zainab Homam, CEO – Awesta Charitable Organization
- Hamid Zarabi, human rights and media activist
- Mawloda Tawana, gender right advocate, human rights defender and protester
- Professor Manizha Bakhtari, Afghanistan Ambassador, Austria
- Azimullah Worsaji, former diplomat
- Ahmad Zia Rahmani, lawyer and Independent Bar Association
- Ainuddin Bahadori, human rights activist
- Attia Mehrban, women rights defender,
- Dr. Bashir Ahmad Ansari, Hanuman rights activist, University Lecturer
- Basit Aryanfar, human rights activist
- Mehrabudin Mastan, former diplomat
- Judge Monira Baharaki, human rights activist
- Hamasa Badakhshani, women’s rights activist
- Shah Gul Rezaee, former MP
- Arash Shahipoor, Assistant professor of law and political Science, University Lecturer
- Gulbibi Joya, women rights activist
- Arash Barez, artist
- Farah Mostafavi, women’s rights activist
- Dawood Pezhman, Artist
- Abdul Rahim Parwani, human rights activist
- Munisa Mubariz, women rights activist and founder Afghanistan main’s powerful women’s movement
- Mohammad Iqbql Iqbql, environmental activist
- Behishta Shaheen, journalist
- Khatera Saleh, Graphic designer
- Masooma Esmaelzada, A community health worker at la maestra community health center, Swedish committee for
Afghanistan - Zahra Haqparast, Founder of Unity and Solidarity of Afghanistan women
- Razia Barakzai , Human Rights Activists
- Shamail Tawana Nasiri, the founder of Afghanistan women movement for justice and freedom
- Taranom Sayedi, Human/women rights defender, Leader of Afghanistan women political participation network
- Sultan Haidari, Journalist and Human rights defender
- Zarifa Yaqoubi, Human rights activists and member of the Afghan transformation wave party
- Fatima Etimadi, Member of the supervision of the Afghanistan women justice movement
- Muzhgan Feraji, Journalist and Human rights activist
- Azada, Journalist and Human rights activist
- Arifa Fatimi, funder member of spontaneous movement of fighting women of Afghanistan
- Zholia Parsi,leadership member of spontaneous movement of protesting women in Afghanistan
- Nayera Kohistani, human and women’s right activist
- Mir Ahmad Joyenda, Former MP, chairman of FCCS.
- Mursal Sayas Human rights Activist.
- Arezzo Saleh, women’s right activist.
- Sadra Anwary, ACVC, Dushanbe.
- Parwana Negin, artist.
- Asad Saleh, IT.
- Masoma Esmaelzada, community health worker.
- Khatera Saleh, Designer.
- Aria Nazari, worms rights activist.
- Rahmatullah Bijanpoor, writer and human right defenders
- Dr. Sahibnazar Muradi, writer.
- Tahmina Babak, worms rights activist.
- Mohammad Jafar Ahmadi, HR & Civil Civil Society Activist
- Abdul Wadood Haziq, Human right Activist.
- L Darwazi, women’s right defender
- Karim Amin, Journalist and Human rights activist
- Mohammad Jafar Ahmadi, HR & Civil Society Activists
- Hadi Ghaffari, President of Bamyan Journalists’ Association, Head of Central Asian Television, Oris, Internal Relations
Committee, International Union of Afghan Pakistan Journalists
