Press briefing notes on Afghanistan

We are very alarmed at the continued disappearance of six people who were abducted in Kabul two weeks ago in connection with the recent women’s rights protests. We are gravely concerned for their well-being and safety.

Despite the de facto authorities’ announcement on Saturday of an investigation into the disappearance of these individuals, there is still no confirmed information on their whereabouts.

In the early evening of 19 January, Parwana Ibrahim Khil and her brother-in-law were abducted while travelling in Kabul. Later that same evening, Tamana Paryani and her three sisters were taken from a house in the city. Both women had participated in a peaceful street demonstration on 16 January, advocating for the human rights of women to be respected.

Since then, there have been reports coming in of house searches of other women in relation to their participation in protests. The lack of clear information on the location and well-being of these and other individuals perpetuates a climate of fear and uncertainty.

These reports have also brought into focus what appears to be a pattern of arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as torture and ill-treatment, of civil society activists, journalists and media workers, and former Government and security forces personnel in Afghanistan. We also continue to receive credible allegations of other gross human rights violations. Control over dissent appears to be tightening.

We call on the de facto authorities to publicly report on the findings of their investigation into the abduction and disappearance of these women activists and their relatives, to take all possible measures to ensure their safe and immediate release, and to hold those responsible to account.

We also urge the de facto authorities to guarantee that all reports of this nature are investigated promptly and effectively, and that action is taken to hold those responsible for abductions and arbitrary arrests accountable, in line with international human rights law. All those who may be arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights must be promptly released. We also urge the Taliban leadership to send clear messages to their rank-and-file that there must be no reprisals against people who demonstrate peacefully and exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact:

Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org or

Liz Throssell + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org