The Washington Centre of Human Rights stands in unequivocal condemnation of the ongoing human rights violations in Afghanistan. The widespread abuses targeting fundamental freedoms and the dignity of Afghan citizens contravene both national and international human rights standards, which every state is obligated to uphold.
Under Afghanistan’s own Constitution, notably Articles 22 and 23, there is a clear mandate to protect equality before the law and the right to life and liberty. These rights form the core of Afghanistan’s commitment to safeguarding its people from harm, injustice, and arbitrary treatment. However, recent developments indicate a sharp and disturbing departure from these national protections, with reports of arbitrary arrests, restrictions on free expression, and targeted violence, particularly against women, children, and ethnic and religious minorities.
On the international stage, Afghanistan is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), both of which bind Afghanistan to uphold basic rights to life, freedom from torture, freedom of expression, and protection against discrimination. Violations against these principles constitute an affront to the standards of the international community and the shared human values that all nations strive to protect.
We call on the international community to reinforce these protections by supporting mechanisms for accountability and by pressing for immediate cessation of these abuses. We urge Afghanistan’s authorities to fulfill their legal and moral obligations under national and international law, to respect the dignity of all Afghan citizens, and to ensure that human rights remain a cornerstone of Afghanistan’s future. The Washington Centre of Human Rights will continue to monitor the situation closely and advocate for justice and peace for the people of Afghanistan.