Geneva, and Bogotà – 16 September 2019

GANHRI expresses its shock and outrage at the murder of our colleague Abdul Samad Amiri, on 5 September in Jalriz district of Maidan Wardak province, by the Taliban. 

Abdul was Acting Director at Ghor Provincial Office of Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission, Afghanistan’s national human rights institution. He had worked with the Commission for many years and had previously served as a children’s rights officer. He was an incredibly inspiring activist and a beacon of hope for his family, community and colleagues. 

On behalf of friends and colleagues from national human rights institutions across the globe, GANHRI Chairperson Carlos Alfonso Negret Mosquera offers his deepest condolences to Mr Amiri’s family and colleagues.

“We condemn Abdul’s brutal killing in the strongest possible terms and deplore this shocking act of violence which deliberately targeted a passionate human rights defender,” he said. “All human rights defenders including members and staff of national human rights institutions must be able to undertake their work freely and in full safety”, he added.

Dr. Carlos Alfonso Negret Mosquerasaid GANHRI stood in solidarity with the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission in calling onthe relevant organs of Afghan government to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, whilst ensuring the safety of those working for the Commission.

In a statement, the Commission also drew attention to other colleagues who had lost their lives to terrorism: Professor Hamida Barmaki, Commissioner; Ansari Baluch, Head of the Ghor Provincial Office; Imran Aziz, Deputy Director of the Children Rights Unit; and Shafiqullah Naseri, Receptionist with the Nangarhar Provincial Office. 

“We lost all these colleagues and incredible human rights defenders to terrorism,” the statement said. “The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission assures citizens of its sustained commitment and work for the promotion and protection of human rights in Afghanistan, despite the difficult circumstances.”