Responding to a wave of attacks by armed groups in Afghanistan that has deliberately targeted civilians, including religious minorities, over the past month, Horia Mosadiq, Amnesty International’s Afghanistan Researcher, said:
“Today’s bombing is the latest tragedy to befall people in Afghanistan in what has been a blood-soaked month. The deliberate targeting of civilians is a war crime. The victims of this horrific wave of violence must not be reduced to objects of pity. They deserve justice. Those responsible for these crimes must be prosecuted and punished in fair trials to end the culture of impunity for such atrocities.
“The Afghan authorities have a responsibility to do whatever they can to protect civilians from attacks by armed groups. Official condemnation is not enough.
“The unrelenting violence in Afghanistan also shows that the country is not safe. European countries who have been forcibly returning Afghans, in violation of international law, must face up to this reality. By sending people back, they are putting them in harm’s way.”