We, undersigned human rights organizations and activists are writing to call for urgent action of the United Nations, human rights organizations, and the international community to the ongoing tyrannical detention and disappearance by the Taliban terror regime targeting civil rights activists in Afghanistan. Female protesters, Tamana Zaryabi Paryani, Parwana Ibrahimkhil, Alia Rezai, 9 reportedly missing women activists in Mazar province, and many others who are mysteriously have been abducted are missing - for the peaceful exercise of human rights to demand freedom and human dignity.

Taliban’s control of power since mid-August continues to inflict human rights atrocities. The already existing hostile sexism in social and political spheres grounded in the patriarchal and traditional society of Afghanistan puts women in a very vulnerable position. Equally, the Taliban regime came with a disproportionate and devasting impact on women and girls. Women in Afghanistan have lost access to their basic human rights and are constantly facing physical violence, threats, and intimidation. They have lost access to education, employment, freedom of expression, freedom of movement, liberty, and means to access justice. In the past five months, brutal and repressive measures the Taliban are introducing for women and girls have erased women from public space.

Unlike the Taliban’s claims, for women who live in Afghanistan, oppressions and constant intimidations did not stop but the strands of fundamentalism are growing rigid every day. As we are writing this letter to you, around 19 million women, half of Afghanistan’s population are living with the fear and consequences of the Taliban’s stigmatization and discrimination. And we all are disappointed by the world leaders and international organizations’ response.

Despite existing deadly risks, many valorous women from all walks of life in groups large and small constantly protest the imposed barbaric rules of the Taliban. Their nonviolent resistance, which Afghanistan history is not a witness of is the reality of Afghanistan. Taliban keep terrorizing protesters to disperse them using gun fires, lashing, beatings, tear gas, and pepper spray. They also banned all protests, slogans, and demonstrations that do not have their official approval. On the 7th and 8th of September 2022, the Taliban attacked women protest in Mazar City and took around 70 protesters including 40 women. After one week, bodies of 8 women were found around the city, and 9 of them are missing and the remaining were released after 45 days. Due to fear of the Taliban and sensitivities in the traditional society of Afghanistan, the details never became public. Once a publication wrote about it on the 13th of January 2022, the body of Hanifa Nazari, one of the Mazar protesters was found outside of her home as a response.

Also, it should be noted that the atrocities we often hear about come from Kabul or cities because there is a level of media coverage, while women in provinces are treated worse but no one can report it. In many instances, journalists have been detained and tortured for covering women's protests. A variety of reports talks about the mysterious disappearance and murder of previous security forces. Their families have been threatened and bullied when they have pursued information about them and are startled against talking to the media.

The world’s inaction in the face of these developments emboldened the Taliban and they came with the new phase of repressions.  On the 19th of 2022, the Taliban raided women's rights protesters’ houses, where some managed to escape but they took three of them with them: Tamana Zaryab Paryani, Parwana Ibrahimkhil, and the name of the third one is kept anonymous at her family’s request. Two of Tamana’s sisters were taken with her that night.  We should also note, in October 2021, Alia Azizi, the previous head of Women’s prison in Herat, was taken from her house and is missing – no news for the past four months. Taliban proved once again that they will always resort to brutality and terror when they are in power. Fear of women in Afghanistan was very valid in the beginning but the world chose to trust the Taliban’s fraudulent promises related to security and peace, which are discredited by events on the ground. Their dreadful exacerbation of terroristic acts suppresses the peaceful exercise of human rights, peaceful protest, and free speech in Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, the whereabouts of detainees is unknown and no organization has access to the Taliban’s prisons to monitor conditions there. Statements from those who are released complain about alarming abuses and torture. Thus, every minute passing can mean torture, rape, and even death to missing women.

Therefore, we, call on the international community to urgently and simultaneously exert leverage on the Taliban towards releasing and protecting detained and missing civil rights activists – to act now:

• Release women and their family members detained immediately and unconditionally

• International human rights organizations should provide safe housing for all women at risk, ensure detainees are protected against torture, sexual harassment, and any other ill-treatment

• Agree on guarantees and explicit enforcement mechanisms to top detention and harassment of civil rights activists and protect their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression

• An impartial international organization shall be appointed to document and investigate abuses, torture, and other ill-treatment against those women while detained and bring those responsible to justice

We sincerely demand to take action urgently and ensure the safety and swift return of women activists to their homes. We all should stand tighter to address atrocities happening against women in Afghanistan immediately and don’t leave those brave women to face Taliban terrorists alone on the streets of Kabul.

Sincerely