Amnesty International has said that nearly 200,000 people around the world have signed a petition calling on the Taliban to end human rights violations in Afghanistan.
Amnesty’s South Asia office said on X Wednesday that the campaign is aimed at speaking out in support of the rights of people in Afghanistan to live in freedom, dignity, and equality.
The campaign has also encouraged people to sign the petition and hold the Taliban accountable, something the group has shown little or no sign of since overtaking power two years ago.
“The Taliban has started a new era of human rights abuse and violations since taking over on 15 August 2021 in Afghanistan. Now, two years since, the country is on the brink of irreversible ruin.” Amnesty International said.
“Not only the Taliban authorities have broken their promise of protecting people’s rights, especially women’s rights, they have resumed the cycle of violence and committed a litany of human rights abuses and violations with full impunity.”
According to the statement, the Taliban has systematically cracked down on human rights institutions and defenders; severely restricted freedom of press, expression, and assembly; and stripped away fundamental rights of women and girls.
“Thousands of Afghans have been arbitrarily detained, tortured, disappeared, and even killed. Journalists, activists, human rights defenders, artists, academics, religious and ethnic minorities remain at particular risk,” Amnesty indicated.
“Human rights are under attack on all fronts. It must be stopped.”
