Afghan human rights watchdog calls for probe by international body into targeted attacks on Hazaras
Jun 06, 2021
Kabul [Afghanistan], June 7 : Relying on its assessments about some recent targeted attacks on the Hazara community, Afghanistan Human Rights Commission on Sunday reiterated that such attacks require comprehensive and deep investigation by an international team that should be picked by the UN.
Since mid-May, at least five attacks have been taken place in Kabul in which the majority of the victims were from the Hazara community, prone to "genocide", reported Tolo News.
Two blasts that targeted city buses in the west of Kabul on Tuesday and two explosions in the west of Kabul on Thursday that targeted a corolla vehicle and a minivan, killing nine civilians, were all from the Hazara community.
"Our assessments showed that the Shia and Hazara community in Afghanistan are exposed to genocide and this requires more investigation," the chairperson of the commission, Shahrzad Akbar, said. "That's why our statement called for a probe team or an international probe commission."
She added, "In recent days, we were busy in seeking justice so that an international probe team would visit Afghanistan."
Meanwhile, a hashtag of "#StopHazaraGenocide" is rounding on social media platforms over the last two days in which social media users from within and outside the country cite recent attacks, show solidarity to each other, call for a thorough probe into them and say they cannot affect the unity among Afghans, reported Tolo News.
"Our passengers are dropped out of the car and are killed. They are killed at schools. Our children are killed. It is in fact a genocide. We have to raise our voice," said Musa Khan Reja, an artist.
"They should pay attention that I, as a Pashtun, am a supporter of my Hazara brother and will never allow the enemy to create a rupture between us by such terrorist attacks," said Khalid Noora, an activist.
Figures by some sources show that at least 560 people have been killed in 14 attacks on the Hazara community in Afghanistan in the last five years. Most of these attacks are suicide bombings and bomb blasts, many in the west of Kabul, reported Tolo News.
