At least nine human rights defenders have been killed in Afghanistan in 2020 surpassing the previous year's figures, inciting concerns over "the emergence of a truly alarming trend." 

CALLS FOR PREVENTION 

A joint statement issued on the 14th August by the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, an independent human rights fact-finding arm of the United Nations, has called for the Afghan government to take preventative actionto halt the killings of human rights defenders. The statement comes after the recent death of Asmatullah Salaam, an advocate for the right to education in the Ghazni province. Salaam was abducted and murdered on his way home to celebrate Eid with his family on 1st August. Salaam's predecessor, Naqibullah Khaksar, was also the victim of a targeted killing. And, in June two members of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) were killed on their way to work. This increase in deaths of human rights defenders in Afghanistan marks a continuation of a worrying trend of violence in the country. 

CULTURE OF IMPUNITY

Human rights organisations believe that the growing trend of killings is the progeny of Afghanistan's "culture of impunity"; the lack of any real consequence for the perpetrators. To combat this, the UN has advised two-fold pragmatism: better identification of life-threatening risks and protection for those exposed to them, and in the more severe instances, thorough investigations into violence and murder to apprehend attackers. Despite voicing support for the creation of a protective framework for human rights defenders in January, the Afghan government has made no progress in this regard eight months later. Therefore, activists are still as vulnerable as ever, even though their protection is within the political purview. 

Amongst active human rights defenders in Afghanistan, there is a shared reality and understanding that the government has no intention of protecting them. However, the government's failure to identify, investigate and prosecute perpetrators of violence is not the sole reason behind this mistrust. 

GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT 

Over recent years it has come to light that the government is turning a blind eye to the persecution of human rights defenders from armed forces such as the Taliban and Islamist State extremists (IS). Such examples include:

• September 2016, Khalil Parsa, a human rights worker, received numerous death threats which he reported to the National Directorate of Security. While driving home in Herat, Parsa was shot at seven times. Parsa survived, but following the incident, he was told by the authority that the altercation would not be investigated.  

• October 2015, a roadside bomb detonated killing two AIHRC members and wounding two others in Nangarhar. The authorities are yet to find the culprits or update the parties with any progress. 

More troubling are the accusations that the authorities are taking active participation in these killings. Najib Sharifi, the director of the Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee, an independent watchdog organisation, documented that in 2017 the Taliban and IS were involved in violent offences against journalists. Nevertheless, government associations and affiliates accounted for 46% of attacks.  

THE REALITY 

Last year, Amnesty International applauded the Afghans speaking up against injustice in the face of adversity, whilst imploring the international community to show solidarity for the cause. The Afghan government must implement a protective framework for human rights activists, the current lack of security will further expose human rights defenders "to threats, intimidation, harassment, surveillance, arbitrary detention, forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings" from both armed groups and government associations alike. 

Justin is a Business Law and Business Management graduate from Heriot-Watt University and current GDL student with the University of Law. He lives in Hong Kong.

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