Afghanistan: community-based defenders shot by the Taliban for demonstrating, die later
Event- Country
- Afghanistan
- Initial Date
- Sep 7, 2021
- Event Description
Systematic death threats, attacks, and killings of human rights defenders have been rampant across Afghanistan even prior to the withdrawal of US troops. This includes those working in civil society organizations or NGOs- that is, anyone who individually or with others act to promote or protect human rights in a peaceful manner. Since the capture of Kabul by the Taliban on 15 August 2021, the lives of thousands of women and men who had risked their safety to promote and defend human rights, gender equality, rule of law, and democratic freedoms in their country are now, more than ever, hanging by a thread. While it is now almost impossible to carry out any human rights work, attacks on human rights defenders have reportedly been on the rise without any sign of abating. Since 15 August, the Taliban and armed groups have engaged in large-scale door-to-door searches, forcing human rights defenders into hiding, and moving clandestinely from one place to another. Meanwhile, escalating violence in the provinces has forced a large number of defenders to leave their home and internally relocate to Kabul. Human rights defenders were also beaten up by the Taliban. Yet very few are willing to publicly denounce the attacks for fear of further reprisals. This demonstrates the climate of fear under which Afghan defenders are now forced to live and are trying to escape.
On 7 September 2021, Omid Sharifi and Bashir Ahmad Bayat, community-based defenders, were shot by the Taliban during a protest and later died for the injuries in Herat, Afghanistan.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 34.35130378040819
Longitude: 62.21692977334168
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 7 September 2021, Omid Sharifi and Bashir Ahmad Bayat, community-based defenders, were shot by the Taliban during a protest and later died for the injuries in Herat, Afghanistan.