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La vision de PGA est de contribuer à la création d'un ordre international fondé sur le respect des règles pour un monde plus équitable, sûr, durable et démocratique.

PGA’s Parliamentary Rapid Response Team Strongly Condemns the killing of Former MP Ms. Mursal Nabizada

Bangui, Brussels, Kabul, Lomé, Male, Ottawa, Stockholm

Today, Parliamentarians for Global Action’s Parliamentary Rapid Response Team (PARRT) publicly condemns the vile assassination of former Afghan Member of Parliament, Ms. Mursal Nabizada, by the Taliban regime and expresses its condolences to her family, friends, and loved ones.

On 15 January 2023, PARRT Member, Hon. Mariam Solaimankhil (Afghanistan) shared the tragic news with the group, including members of Parliament from Afghanistan, Canada, the Central African Republic, the European Parliament, Maldives, and Togo. According to news reports, her bodyguard and Ms. Nabizada were shot at her house in Kabul by armed men. Her brother and a second security guard, who were also present, were wounded in the attack. The police spokesperson said that an immediate investigation would be carried out.

Ms. Nabizada, 32, was a Member of Parliament from 2019 to 2021 when the Taliban deposed the Afghan government. She was a member of the Parliamentary Defense Commission and worked at the Institute for Human Resources Development and Research. During her term as MP, Ms. Nabizada was very critical of the Taliban and their policies, and despite the multiple challenges the country faces, she was one of the very few former lawmakers who remained in Afghanistan.

PARRT denounces this killing as not only an attack on democracy and the rule of law but also as an attack on all women fighting for human rights in Afghanistan and around the world.

  • Hon. Hon. Mariam Solaimankhil, MP in Exile

    Afghanistan

As we grieve her loss, let us raise our voices for the women of Afghanistan who are facing unimaginable atrocities at the hands of the Taliban. We have lost a true sister, but her memory and mission must live on. As Members of Parliament, we need to use our collective strength and push governments to free Afghan people from daily oppression and violence. Let us remember to be grateful for our rights and never forget those still fighting for their basic human rights. We need to stand together with and fight for the women in Afghanistan. PARRT Member, Hon. Mariam Solaimankhil, MP in Exile (Afghanistan)

Since the fall of Kabul in August 2021, women’s rights have deteriorated with restrictions such as the veto of universities and secondary schools, gender segregation in public places, the imposition of the veil, the obligation to be accompanied by a male relative on long journeys, and more recently, banning their employment with foreign aid groups, which has prompted some agencies to suspend their operations in the country. The Taliban have also excluded all women from positions of power within the Government, putting an end to one of the most outstanding achievements of women who reached high positions and represented the country at national, regional, and international levels.

The brutal killing of former MP Ms. Mursal Nabizada appears to have been carried out within a clear framework and pattern of systematic attacks directed against Afghani civilians who are not aligned with the Taliban rulers and, in particular, against women and girls who are persecuted and, at times, enslaved by men exercising absolute control against their will.

  • Hon. Hon. Mariam Solaimankhil, MP in Exile

    Afghanistan

Given that Afghanistan is a State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since May 2003, the Office of the Prosecutor and relevant Chambers should apply the Statute and initiate relevant cases against the persons who are most responsible for these widespread and systematic policies of atrocities, especially those targeting women and girls.


PARRT Member, Hon. Mariam Solaimankhil, MP in Exile (Afghanistan)

Members of Parliament have firmly called attention to an increase in the deterioration of women's rights worldwide.

PARRT Member Ms. Anita Vandenbeld, MP (Canada), shared with the group that Canada’s Parliamentary Women’s Caucus has a new initiative to politically sponsor women imprisoned in Iran. Legislators from the country are assigned to one prisoner and use their platforms to raise awareness of her case. Ms. Vandenbeld encouraged other parliamentarians to join similar efforts, which may bring about significant changes. Similarly, Ms. Hannah Neumann, MEP (Germany) and PARRT Member, stressed that European parliamentarians have also started to sponsor jailed Iranian protesters to raise awareness of individuals who have been arbitrarily detained.

Just toward the end of last year, PGA issued another statement supporting women parliamentarians facing violence worldwide as attacks against them have considerably increased. PGA’s Campaign to “S.T.O.P. Violence Against Women Legislators” and the recent statement contained specific call-for-action for Parliamentarians to implement in their own countries and combat this scourge.

PGA renews its call on the international community to forcefully reject Taliban policies resulting in worsening conditions against the Afghan population, especially against girls and women. We will continue affirming the rights of Afghan victims of these atrocities at the International Criminal Court (ICC), among other key stakeholders, and amplifying their voices in PGA-hosted activities.

Related:

Support Women Parliamentarians facing violence around the world

Support Women Parliamentarians facing violence around the world

As we approach the end of 2022, the world continues to witness with great concern the attacks, harassment, sexism, sexual and other forms of violence against women parliamentarians.

S.T.O.P. Violence Against Women Parliamentarians

S.T.O.P. Violence Against Women Parliamentarians

The existence and prevalence of sexism, misogyny, democratic backsliding, and authoritarianism have created fertile ground for the institutionalization of violence against women in politics and human rights defenders.

Canada’s Parliamentary Women’s Caucus has a new initiative to politically sponsor women imprisoned in Iran »
Freedom House: A NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF AFGHAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS »

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Previous Actions by PGA in Afghanistan

Third Roundtable: Supporting Afghan Nationals on the Ground and in Exile

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To avoid Afghanistan becoming a safe haven for perpetrators of egregious crimes, the international community must continue securing support and resources for the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Afghanistan: Ambassadors and legislators discuss strengthening accountability mechanisms while addressing the humanitarian crisis

Afghanistan: Ambassadors and legislators discuss strengthening accountability mechanisms while addressing the humanitarian crisis

On 21 December 2021, on the occasion of the visit of PGA President to New York, in her capacity as newly elected President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, PGA organized its 2021 Biannual Strategic Meeting of the PGA United Nations (UN) Advisory Committee. This meeting, hosted by the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN, provided an opportunity for an open and fruitful exchange on how Members of Parliaments can act to contribute to the prevention of atrocity-crimes and to improve the safety and security of Afghan civilians.

Working Group on Afghanistan: Legislators Must Continue to Put Pressure on Their Government

Working Group on Afghanistan: Legislators Must Continue to Put Pressure on Their Government

On 4 November 2021, Parliamentarians for Global Action held a closed Working Group where Members of Parliament (MPs), former ambassadors, women’s rights activists, experts, civil society representatives and academics strategically discussed how to prevent and address violent extremism and the further commission of human rights violations, while supporting Afghan people, especially women and girls.