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Judicial officers call for increased safety measures following assassination
Following the assassination of two female judges in Kabul, an association of judicial officers has called for Afghanistan to implement stronger safety measures.
Naomi Neilson
In January, judges Zakia Herawi and Qadria Yasini were murdered while travelling to the Supreme Court in an official car, prompting calls from international judicial bodies for Afghanistan to strengthen security measures for female legal practitioners. The perpetrators of the violent crimes are yet to be identified or charged.
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In a statement released by the Australian Judicial Officers Association (AJOA), the Honourable Justice Glenn Martin AM said the Supreme Court of Afghanistan has been advised by security personnel that all women judges – 250 in Afghanistan, many who have already been harmed – are potential targets of further violence.
Justice Martin said the association agrees with the International Association of Women Judges that “the targeting of women judges is part of a campaign to intimidate women in prominent roles – [including] journalists, rights advocates and others who support change towards a more inclusive and fair society”.
Most of the female judges in Afghanistan serve on primary and appellate courts but must rely on their own mode of transportation to reduce their risks of violence. It is an added financial and logistical burden and, for the very few female judges who work in the Supreme Court and have the benefit of official transportation, existing measures in place are “obviously insufficient” to prevent further assassinations.
“Advancement towards a just order and equitable development is not possible without women’s participation in all aspects of society. In the judiciary, in particular, women judges at all levels are essential in the legitimacy, integrity and fairness of courts in the eyes of the people and key for effective and fully informed decisions.
“This attack on women judges is an attempt to undo the progress that has been made in recent years in the treatment of women and the establishment of the rule of law in Afghanistan,” Justice Martin said.
