At the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in March 2025, Artemis Akbary, Executive Director of ALO, delivered a powerful call to action during the Interactive Dialogue on the Special Rapporteur’s study of the “Law on propagation of virtue and prevention of vice” (UN Doc. A/HRC/58/74).

Akbary urged the international community to prioritise the protection of human rights, support international accountability mechanisms, and refuse any engagement or recognition of the de facto authorities in Afghanistan—until they prove a genuine commitment to upholding human rights. 

He also highlighted that the so-called morality decrees systematically institutionalise gender-based oppression, “subjecting women, girls, and LGBTIQ+ people to detention, sexual violence, public floggings, and other torture”—and demanded that the Taliban be held accountable for crimes against humanity. 

Akbary emphasised the need to elevate the voices of Afghan women, girls, and LGBTIQ+ individuals into international decision-making, urging global actors to offer protection, humanitarian aid, and legal pathways such as asylum or humanitarian visas (linkedin.com).

Read ALO’s full statement here: https://x.com/Artemis_akbary/status/1895435862332084489