On 17 November 2023, Russia’s Ministry of Justice filed a lawsuit with the State’s Supreme Court, demanding the recognition of the “international public LGBT movement” as an “extremist organisation”. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisations, the Anti-Discrimination Centre Memorial (ADC Memorial), and Citizen Watch strongly condemn this initiative, which will threaten any individual in Russia supportive in any manner of the LGBT cause.

Feridun Sinirlioğlu, the United Nations’ special coordinator for Afghan affairs, said last week that “good progress had been made in Afghanistan, especially in the field of security,” and that “stability has been established,” at a meeting with Maulvi Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for administrative affairs.

He said there is a “misunderstanding” between the international community and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which needs resolving. It is unclear what this “misunderstanding” entails. If gender apartheid is a misunderstanding, then it should be immediately recognized by the United Nations so the Taliban can be held accountable for their actions against Afghan women and girls. 

Responding to the Taliban’s decision to install 62,000 security cameras across Kabul and other areas, Matt Mahmoudi, Amnesty International’s Researcher and Advisor on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, said:

“Implementing such a vast architecture of mass surveillance under the guise of ‘national security’ sets a template for the Taliban to continue its draconian policies that violate fundamental rights of people in Afghanistan — especially women in public spaces.

Uganda’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Uganda must urgently drop charges of “aggravated homosexuality” against a 20-year-old man charged on 18 August 2023 becoming the second Ugandan to be charged with the offence under the country’s invasive Anti-Homosexuality Act, which carries the death penalty, Amnesty International said today.

“It is deeply disturbing that the Ugandan authorities are prosecuting people based on their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Discrimination and persecution of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in the country must be halted,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.

August 15 marks the second anniversary of the U.S. military’s hasty exit from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s usurp of power. Since then, the Taliban has chiseled away the basic rights of women and girls in a multitude of ways, from denying them access to education to banning them from public parks. 

The Taliban’s latest crackdown on women’s freedom came on June 24 when all beauty salons were ordered to shut down. The situation in Afghanistan right now, according to Human Rights Watch, is “the most serious women’s rights crisis in the world. [Any] assessment of the international approach to the crisis in Afghanistan should prioritize human rights, especially the rights of women and girls.”

On June 25, the Taliban issued a statement declaring Afghan women are given a “comfortable and prosperous life” under their regime, despite the government’s ban against women’s education after sixth grade and involvement in public life and work. Most recently, the Taliban banned beauty salons, which allowed women to join the workforce and form social communities.

The statement was released before one of the biggest Muslim holidays, Eid al-Adha, and was given by the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who is rarely seen outside of Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province. According to the Associated Press, he “surrounds himself with other religious scholars and allies who oppose education and work for women.” 

Tuesday, June 20, we celebrate World Refugee Day—honoring the strength and bravery of those who have been forced to flee their homes. This day grows with significance every year, as the number of people forced to flee conflict and persecution has reached a historic high of 110 million, with an additional 306 million in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. These numbers are a stark reminder that compounded crises—including conflict, climate and COVID-19—are driving unprecedented levels of human suffering, economic vulnerability and forced displacement. 

With the 2023 theme of World Refugee Day, “Hope away from home,” we must question whether we, as humanitarians, are effectively using our resources to create an environment for refugees to become self-sufficient. Today, we are called to question our approaches to addressing the extremes of the displacement crisis and our accountability to its affected populations. Our answers are more critical than ever, as needs soar and funding gaps widen.

A weeklong special U.N. mission on human rights in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan has found an unprecedented level of “systemic gender-based” discrimination that severely threatens the impoverished country’s future.

The United Nations released preliminary findings of the two-member mission Friday, saying the study concluded Thursday and took place amid a long-standing humanitarian crisis and profound turmoil caused by the latest Taliban edict banning Afghan women from working for the U.N. and local NGOs.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned this week that Afghanistan continues to face the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today, with a two-day summit in Doha ending without formal recognition of the Taliban government that has ruled the country since August 2021. Since their return to power, the Taliban have cracked down on women’s rights, including restricting access to education and banning women from working with international aid groups. Poverty has skyrocketed in Afghanistan as years of conflict, corruption and international sanctions have battered the economy. We speak with Farzana Elham Kochai, a women’s rights activist who was elected to the Afghan Parliament in 2019 before fleeing the country for safety, and Jumana Abo Oxa, who works with the Greek refugee project Elpida Home helping Afghan women lawmakers find refuge in other countries.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban has shut down a women-run radio station for broadcasting songs and music during the month of Ramadan. Sadai Banowan, which means “women’s voice” in Dari, was the only station led by women, founded a decade ago. It’s the latest rights attack from the Taliban as women and girls have also been banned from education beyond the sixth grade and most jobs, with the United Nations warning the growing discrimination and systemic violence may amount to gender persecution — a crime against humanity.