In Support of the Judicial Process in Spain and the Pursuit of Justice for Women, Minorities, Former Soldiers, Journalists, and Victims of Taliban Crimes
More than one hundred organizations, associations, women’s protest movements, and diaspora networks from Afghanistan, in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, welcome the initiation of judicial proceedings in Spain against the perpetrators and supporters of crimes committed in Afghanistan. We consider this a historic step forward in the pursuit of global justice.
Over the past four years, the people of Afghanistan have endured widespread and systematic violations of human rights under Taliban rule. Afghan women have been the first and primary victims of this misogynistic regime—deprived of their rights to education, employment, healthcare, freedom of movement, and social participation. Arbitrary arrests, torture, and enforced disappearances have been used as deliberate policies to silence women’s voices and erase them from public life.
However, the scope of these crimes extends far beyond women. Ethnic and religious minorities—including Hazaras, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Sikhs, and Hindus—have been direct targets of massacres, land usurpation, systemic discrimination, and forced displacement. These policies, particularly in the central, northern, and western regions of Afghanistan, have aimed to alter the demographic composition and eliminate indigenous communities.
In addition, former members of the security forces, journalists, civil and cultural activists, and members of the modern Afghan society have also been subjected to revenge killings, extrajudicial executions, torture, censorship, and organized repression. Dozens of journalists have been killed or disappeared, and thousands of former soldiers have been executed or imprisoned in silence and impunity.
These acts constitute clear violations under international law—amounting to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and gender apartheid—and demand legal accountability at the international level.
We believe that the Spanish court proceedings can represent the first genuine step toward reviving the principle of universal jurisdiction in the prosecution of such grave crimes—not only for Afghanistan, but for the defense of justice and human dignity worldwide.
In this regard, we call on the Government of Spain and the European Union to continue the judicial process against the Taliban and their regional or international supporters without any political compromise; to ensure the safe participation and testimony of victims—including women, minorities, former soldiers, and journalists; to refrain from any political, financial, or diplomatic engagement with the Taliban that could undermine the pursuit of justice; to provide legal, psychological, and protective support for victims and witnesses; and to strengthen cooperation between the Spanish court and international judicial bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC).
We reaffirm that justice for Afghanistan will only be meaningful if the voices of all victims are heard—women, minorities, soldiers, journalists, civil activists, and displaced persons alike.
This court is not only an effort to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes, but also a vital step toward restoring hope, dignity, and trust to the people of Afghanistan.
