Four Civil Organizations Launch People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women
- Zan News
- Jul 31
- 2 min read
A coalition of four civil organizations has announced the launch of a People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women.
According to a statement issued by the coalition on Thursday, July 31, the goal of this tribunal is to fight against impunity and prevent the normalization of Taliban oppression against women in Afghanistan.
The statement notes that public hearings of this tribunal will be held from October 8 to 10 in Madrid, Spain, with the presence of an international panel of judges.
According to the announcement, four prosecutors, in collaboration with international experts, are preparing a formal indictment to be presented before the court, and a team has been tasked with gathering documentation and evidence.
This unprecedented initiative is being carried out by four organizations: “Rawadari,” “Human Rights Activists,” “Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy,” and “Research and Development.”
One of the prosecutors of this People’s Tribunal stated, “When crimes against humanity are committed, the silence of other governments becomes a crime in itself. The People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women will compel the world to listen to the voices of Afghan women.”
This initiative comes as the International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for Hibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the Taliban’s supreme leader and chief justice, on charges of crimes against humanity.
According to the court’s statement, there are reasonable grounds to believe that “Akhundzada and Haqqani, through ordering, inciting, or encouraging the persecution of women and girls based on their gender, as well as the harassment of those who oppose the Taliban’s gender policies, have committed crimes against humanity under Article 7 (1)(h) of the Rome Statute.”
The Taliban have declared that they do not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, but human rights organizations have welcomed this development.
