Three-day session to investigate Taliban crimes against women begins in Spain.
The three-day session of the “People’s Court for Afghan Women” began this morning (Wednesday, October 8, 2025) in Madrid, Spain.
Shahrzad Akbar opened the program with a brief report from the People’s Court and a vote of thanks to the participants. The trial is scheduled to continue until Friday, with an official statement to be issued at the end.
The goal of the session is to document the systematic oppression of women in Afghanistan and to try to hold the Taliban accountable for these crimes.
The prosecutors include Azada Raz Mohammad, legal advisor to the End Gender Apartheid Campaign, Mohib Mudassar, human rights defender, and Banafsha Yaqoobi, civil society activist.
International experts include Shadi Sadr from Iran, Emily Full and Shazia Chaudhry from the United Kingdom, and Malek Setiz from Afghanistan.
The judges of the court are drawn from Spain, Afghanistan, Egypt, Italy, South Africa and India.
Organizers say the meeting is being held in collaboration with four Afghan civil society organizations and with the support of human rights groups and academia.
The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, has supported the court, calling it “an important step towards holding the Taliban accountable.”
A preliminary statement is expected to be issued at the end of the sessions, reflecting the testimonies and documents presented on the situation of Afghan women.
