KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, has called for an independent investigation into an attack by armed men on Shiite civilians in the Injil district of Herat.
Mr. Bennett, in a post on X on Saturday evening (April 11), referring to the history of such attacks against Shiites in Herat, said that this attack appears to follow a “pattern.”
He added that this attack must not only be condemned, but should also be independently investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.
The UN human rights special rapporteur also expressed sympathy with the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.
The Hezb-e Wahdat-e Islami Afghanistan has strongly condemned the attack on civilians in the Injil district of Herat province.
In a statement, the party said that the killing of innocent civilians because of their religious identity is not only a shocking and inhumane act, but also part of a continuing pattern of targeted violence, which it described as a clear case of crimes against humanity and an example of genocide.
The party further stated that this massacre demonstrates that people in Afghanistan, particularly followers of the Jafari and Ismaili sects, continue to face discrimination, organized violence, and serious threats to their security.
The party emphasized the need to ensure fair security for all citizens, end religious and ethnic discrimination, and establish a legitimate and accountable system regarding the lives and dignity of all citizens, and called on all national and international human rights institutions not to remain silent in the face of such incidents and to take urgent, effective, and responsible measures to prevent the recurrence of such tragic events.
In the afternoon of yesterday, unidentified armed individuals attacked Shiite civilians near a Shiite shrine in the “Deh Miri” area of Injil district in Herat and opened fire on them.
The Taliban’s Department of Information and Culture in Herat stated that 11 people were killed and eight others were injured in this attack.
However, local sources put the death toll higher than the Taliban’s figures, saying that at least 20 people were killed and several others were injured. The victims of this attack include women and children.
So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Furthermore, this incident has raised renewed concerns among human rights observers and local communities about the rising trend of targeted violence against religious minorities in Afghanistan. Calls for transparent investigations and stronger protection mechanisms for vulnerable groups have once again intensified, highlighting the urgent need for accountability and long-term measures to prevent such attacks in the future.
