Afghanistan: US-Taliban peace deal 'must put human rights at its heart'

As the United States of America and the Afghan Taliban are poised to sign a peace agreement in Doha today, Zaman Sultani, Amnesty International’s South Asia Researcher, said:

“No one desires peace more than the people of Afghanistan, who have suffered so much over the past four decades of conflict. 

“Despite many serious and ongoing challenges, Afghanistan has made significant human rights achievements on different fronts that must be protected and should not be reversed. A peace process must put human rights at its heart.

“Any peace process involving the parties to the conflict in Afghanistan must not ignore the voice of victims. It must not disregard their calls for justice, truth and reparation for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious human rights violations and abuses – committed by all sides in the conflict. It must also guarantee the rights of women and girls, and the rights of religious minorities in Afghanistan.”