Statement by the Human Rights Defenders’ Committee in connection with the assassination of Yusuf Rashid, the Executive Director of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan (FEFA)
23 December 2020, Kabul
The Committee condemns in the strongest terms possible the assassination of the prominent civil society and human rights activist, Yusuf Rashid, and regards it as un-Islamic, and a clear breach of international human rights and humanitarian laws.
Woefully, there has been an increase in targeted and serial assassinations of human rights and civil society activists, and journalists in the country in recent months. What has highly been alarming to them is the velocity and number of such incidents and most importantly the ambiguity in knowing the culprits and/or discerning their intent (in many cases no one so far has taken the responsibility for such attacks and assassinations).
While expressing its serious concern about the situation, the Committee urges the government of Afghanistan, the international community, and national and international human rights organizations not to remain silent about the serial killings and targeted assassinations of human rights defenders; and identify the perpetrators of such attacks and bring them to justice. The negligence of the government of Afghanistan and the indifference of the international community will severely undermine the civic and human rights activism in the country and will ultimately propel the country into chaos, authoritarianism, and tyranny.