“I was beaten and harassed by the Taliban many times just for being gay,” said Azar, a 20-year-old gay man in Kabul, whose name is changed for his safety. In one of those incidents in mid-2023, Taliban members beat him in the street, then arrested and tortured him for days in a hidden, informal holding space.
The International Criminal Court Prosecutor announced it is seeking warrants against Taliban leaders for gender persecution committed against women, girls and–for the first time in its history–LGBTQI+ people. The Gender Persecution in Afghanistan Accountability Working Group (GPWG) is a dedicated platform towards achieving justice, visibility and accountability for gender-based crimes in Afghanistan. Read GPWG’s press release to learn what the warrants mean for Afghan feminist human rights defenders and allies.
President Trump on Monday ordered his administration to gut policies instituted under the Biden administration to prevent sex discrimination and protect transgender Americans, and dismantle federal programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
A senior Taliban figure has urged the group’s leader to scrap education bans on Afghan women and girls, saying there is no excuse for them, in a rare public rebuke of government policy.
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Stay apprised of the latest updates on gender persecution accountability and learn about events by joining our mailing list.