HRD+

09/10/2026

What does the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan (IIMA) mean for justice and accountability? In this video, Kate McInnes, a defense lawyer, shares her perspective and reflections.

02/10/2026

Afghanistan: Art Resists, Hope Blooms

On 7 September, alongside the opening of the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the three-day exhibition “Afghanistan: Art Resists, Hope Blooms” opened, featuring works by 14 Afghan artists from inside Afghanistan.

The artworks were sent from Afghanistan, while the artists followed the opening online from inside the country. The opening brought together Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights, a representative from the UN cultural sector, and other guests.

The programme included speeches and a musical performance, and the exhibition welcomed many visitors throughout the three days.

Organised by Human Rights Defenders Plus - HRD+ Civil Society and Human Rights Network - CSHRN, World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), AHRDO, Initiative pour la Liberté Artistique (ILA), Action for Development, , and Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft with the support of Center for Dialogue and Progress (CDP-G), Center for Human Rights Advocacy, Dialogue Hub, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), ADDO - Afghanistan Democracy and Development Organization, and Spoken Museum

27/09/2026

Richard Bennett discusses the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Afghanistan (IIMA) and the important role of Afghan civil society in supporting accountability and documentation.

17/09/2026

Art, Civic Space and Resistance in Times of Repression

On 8 September 2026, a panel discussion took place at Victoria Hall in Geneva, exploring the role of art in preserving civic space in contexts of crisis and repression.

The panel brought together artists, human rights experts and cultural practitioners to discuss artistic freedom in Afghanistan, the experiences of artists in exile, and the role of art in preserving identity, memory and dignity.

Organised by Human Rights Defenders Plus -
Society and Human Rights Network - CSHRN, World Org. Against Torture World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), AHRDO, pour la Liberté Artistique (ILA), Action for Development, , and Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft with the support of Center for Dialogue and Progress (CDP-G), for Human Rights Advocacy, Hub, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), - Afghanistan Democracy and Development Organization, and Museum

16/09/2026

Afghanistan: Art Resists, Hope Blooms

On the sidelines of the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a three-day exhibition brought the voices of Afghan women to the world through art.

Organised by HRD+ and OMCT, with the support of partners.

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15/09/2026

A night of Afghan music, art and hope in Geneva.

Arash Bariz brought the spirit of Afghanistan to the stage, performing for an audience gathered to celebrate Afghan culture, creativity and resilience.

07/09/2026

30/08/2026

We, the undersigned Afghan civil society organizations, stand united in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the six WCLRF members detained by Taliban intelligence.

Defending human rights, educating girls, and working for justice are not crimes.

We stand in solidarity with the detainees, their families, and all those defending human rights in Afghanistan.

Civil Society & Human Rights Network - شبکه جامعه مدنی و حقوق بشر OMCT ADDO

14/08/2026

Five years after the Taliban returned to power on 15 August 2021, Afghanistan has undergone one of the most profound reversals of human rights in its contemporary history. Along with the international community rightly focused on gender apartheid, the exclusion of women and girls from public life, and the collapse of democratic institutions, another dimension of the Taliban's policies needs to be underlined: systematic erosion of human dignity and the right to privacy.

Since August 2021, Taliban has issued hundreds of decrees, directives, verbal orders, and administrative instructions affecting nearly every aspect of everyday life. These measures extend far beyond regulating public institutions. They increasingly regulate personal appearance, family relations, education, employment, communication, religious practice, movement, cultural expression, and even activities inside private homes. The cumulative effect is the transformation of Afghanistan into a society governed not merely through law but through pervasive surveillance, fear, and moral control.

This report of HRD+ argues that the Taliban's restrictions should not be understood as isolated violations of individual rights. Rather, they constitute an integrated system of governance that progressively dismantles personal autonomy and replaces rights-based governance with ideological control. This governance model undermines the legal protections guaranteed under international human rights law, including the right to privacy under Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and erodes the institutional foundations necessary for justice, economic development, and sustainable peace.

Drawing upon a chronology of Taliban decrees and directives issued between August 2021 and June 2026, this report identifies recurring patterns of state intrusion into private life, institutional dismantling, arbitrary punishment, and surveillance. It concludes that the destruction of human dignity is not only a humanitarian concern but also a structural obstacle to Afghanistan's future recovery.
https://hrd-plus.net/policy-brief-five-years-under-taliban-rule-2021-2026

14/08/2026

پنج سال پس از بازگشت طالبان به قدرت در ۱۵ اگست ۲۰۲۱، افغانستان یکی از عمیق‌ترین عقب‌گردهای حقوق بشری در تاریخ معاصر خود را تجربه کرده است. در حالی که جامعه جهانی به‌درستی بر آپارتاید جنسیتی، حذف زنان و دختران از عرصه عمومی و فروپاشی نهادهای دموکراتیک تمرکز کرده است، بُعد دیگری از سیاست‌های طالبان نیز شایسته توجه ویژه است: فرسایش نظام‌مند کرامت انسانی و حق بر حریم خصوصی.

از اگست ۲۰۲۱ تاکنون، طالبان صدها فرمان، دستور، احکام شفاهی و بخشنامه اداری صادر کرده‌اند که تقریباً تمامی ابعاد زندگی روزمره مردم را تحت تأثیر قرار داده است. این اقدامات تنها به تنظیم امور نهادهای عمومی محدود نبوده، بلکه به‌طور فزاینده ظاهر افراد، روابط خانوادگی، آموزش، اشتغال، ارتباطات، اعمال مذهبی، رفت‌وآمد، فعالیت‌های فرهنگی و حتی امور داخل خانه‌های شخصی را نیز در بر گرفته است. پیامد تجمعی این سیاست‌ها، تبدیل افغانستان به جامعه‌ای است که نه صرفاً از طریق قانون، بلکه از طریق نظارت دائمی، ترس و کنترل ایدئولوژیک اداره می‌شود.

این گزارش HRD+ استدلال می‌کند که محدودیت‌های طالبان را نباید مجموعه‌ای از نقض‌های پراکنده حقوق بشر دانست. بلکه این اقدامات، یک نظام حکمرانی یکپارچه را تشکیل می‌دهند که به‌تدریج استقلال فردی را از میان برده و حکمرانی مبتنی بر حقوق را با کنترل ایدئولوژیک جایگزین می‌کند. چنین الگویی از حکمرانی، حمایت‌های حقوقی تضمین‌شده در حقوق بین‌الملل، از جمله حق بر حریم خصوصی مندرج در ماده ۱۷ میثاق بین‌المللی حقوق مدنی و سیاسی (ICCPR) را تضعیف کرده و بنیان‌های نهادی لازم برای تحقق عدالت، توسعه اقتصادی و صلح پایدار را از بین می‌برد.

این گزارش با تکیه بر گاه‌شمار فرمان‌ها و دستورالعمل‌ها و اقدامات طالبان که بین اگست ۲۰۲۱ تا جولای ۲۰۲۶ صادر شده‌اند، الگوهای تکرارشونده مداخله دولت در زندگی خصوصی، انحلال نهادها، مجازات‌های خودسرانه و نظارت سازمان‌یافته را شناسایی می‌کند. گزارش نتیجه می‌گیرد که نابودی کرامت انسانی تنها یک نگرانی بشردوستانه نیست، بلکه مانعی ساختاری در برابر بازسازی آینده افغانستان به شمار می‌رود.

https://hrd-plus.net/policy-brief-five-years-under-taliban-rule-2021-2026