The Case of Afghan Women’s Rights Referred to The Hague by Five Countries
Bayan News – The governments of France, Chile, Costa Rica, Luxembourg, and Mexico have referred the case regarding the state of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
On Thursday, November 28, Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement, saying: “Given the deteriorating situation and the grave conditions faced by all Afghan women and girls, the situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has been referred to the Prosecutor’s Office of the International Criminal Court.”
The statement further added: “The signatories deem it necessary to draw the Prosecutor’s attention to the events occurring in the aforementioned country (Afghanistan), particularly considering the circumstances of all Afghan women and girls who are subjected to continuous and systematic violations of their rights.”
The foreign ministers of the signatory countries emphasized their commitment to supporting the ICC’s efforts in protecting the rights of Afghan women and girls.
So far, the interim government officials in Afghanistan have not responded to this issue.
Since coming to power, however, the interim government has imposed severe educational and occupational restrictions on Afghan women and girls. For three years now, girls have been banned from attending schools and universities, while women have been barred from working in domestic and international organizations.
Additionally, interim government officials have repeatedly claimed over the past two years that women’s rights are safeguarded under Islamic law. They also argue that the rights of women and girls are internal matters for Afghanistan and that foreign countries should refrain from interference.
