IMAGE: Women hold placards during a protest to demand an end to the extra-judicial killings of former officials of the previous regime, in Kabul on December 28, 2021. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP) (Photo by MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Human rights abuses in Afghanistan have continued to accelerate since the Taliban takeover last August. While the international community professes outrage, it has failed to prevent escalating abuses or to take steps necessary to investigate and collect evidence for future accountability efforts. There is no question that the Taliban takeover of the country presents challenging circumstances for defense of human rights. But the international community must use the tools at its disposal to ensure that human rights in Afghanistan do not become a neglected priority.