IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 616 

Expressing support for the people of Afghanistan, condemning the Taliban’s 

assault on human rights and the specific targeting of women, girls, 

and members of religious and ethnic minorities, and expressing support 

for any Afghans who assisted in the United States mission in Afghanistan. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 26, 2023 

Mr. CROW (for himself, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Ms. WILD, and Mr. 

WALTZ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the 

Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the people of Afghanistan, condemning the Taliban’s assault on human rights and the 

specific targeting of women, girls, and members of religious and ethnic minorities, and expressing support for 

any Afghans who assisted in the United States mission 

in Afghanistan. 

Whereas, upon returning to power in August 2021, the 

Taliban have become one of the world’s most repressive 

organizations, depriving the Afghans of their enjoyment 

of human rights and fundamental freedoms and rolling 


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•HRES 616 IH 

back the rights of women, girls, and members of vulnerable communities; 

Whereas the Taliban have placed severe restrictions on 

women and girls, limiting their travel, access to education, and livelihoods; 

Whereas, in March 2022, Emir Hibatullah Akhundzada canceled plans to reopen girls’ secondary schools, and in December 2022, the Taliban-run Ministry of Higher Education suspended women from attending public and private universities, and in January 2023, barred them from 

private universities altogether; 

Whereas the Taliban ordered all local and international nongovernmental organizations to dismiss their female employees or risk revocation of their licenses, with some exceptions for women working in health and education; 

Whereas the Taliban have used unjust force against Afghans 

participating in demonstrations in support of women and 

girls, including through the use of water cannons and 

beatings, and protesters have faced other serious physical 

abuses; 

Whereas the Taliban continue to engage in gross human 

rights abuses including unjust detentions, disappearances 

and abductions, physical abuses, summary killings, collective punishment, and profiling and surveilling members of 

ethnic, tribal, and religious groups perceived as holding 

anti-Taliban views; 

Whereas the Taliban have placed severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, including for members of the press, 

peaceful assembly, and association, and have targeted 

members of the media, human rights defenders, and civil 


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•HRES 616 IH 

society activists through harassment, interference, surveillance, intimidation, detention, and violence; 

Whereas many Hazaras, Sufis, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, 

Ahmadiyya Muslims, and members of other religious minority groups face repeated harassment, detention, violence, and other egregious abuses of religious freedom 

due to their beliefs since the Taliban reimposed their 

strict interpretation of Sunni Islam on Afghanistan; 

Whereas the Taliban and Islamic State in the Khorasan 

Province have forcibly displaced a large number of 

Hazara families from their homes and ancestral lands as 

a form of collective punishment and targeted this community in violent attacks; 

Whereas summary killings and disappearances have taken 

place despite the Taliban’s announced amnesty for 

former government and military officials; 

Whereas terrorist groups, including the Islamic State in the 

Khorasan Province, continue to destabilize Afghanistan, 

use the country to launch external threats, and present 

an enduring threat to nations around the globe; 

Whereas it is in the global interest to prevent the growth of 

terrorist organizations operating in Afghanistan by addressing the human rights degradation and internal oppression that have the potential to fuel external aggression; 

Whereas the restrictive policies of the Taliban have undermined human rights and exacerbated the ongoing financial and humanitarian crisis, contributing to an unstable 

operating environment for humanitarian relief with continued interference and violence against aid workers; 


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•HRES 616 IH 

Whereas the United Nations estimates that 28,000,000 people, or two-thirds of the Afghan population, need humanitarian assistance in 2023 and an estimated 19,900,000 

Afghans are experiencing acute food insecurity; 

Whereas the United States supported efforts to build democracy, promote rights for women and girls, and strengthen 

the rule of law in Afghanistan through diplomatic, military, and humanitarian efforts for over 20 years; and 

Whereas the United States remains committed to supporting 

the Afghan people through their struggle for democracy 

and human rights: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns the Taliban’s ongoing human 

3 rights abuses against women and girls, members of 

4 religious and ethnic minorities, civil society leaders 

5 and activists, humanitarian workers, and journalists, 

6 among members of other vulnerable groups in Af7 ghanistan, and calls for the group to halt any fur8 ther acts of violence and repression against the Af9 ghan people; 

10 (2) encourages the Secretary of State, as appro11 priate, to consider determining whether the Taliban 

12 have committed crimes against humanity in connec13 tion with their treatment of women and girls in Af14 ghanistan; and 

15 (3) encourages the United States Government 

16 to work with our allies and partners, including the 


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•HRES 616 IH 

1 United Nations and multilateral partners, to develop 

2 a comprehensive, long-term strategy to— 

3 (A) counter a resurgence of increased vio4 lence against human rights defenders in Af5 ghanistan, especially against those who defend 

6 the rights of women and girls, held political of7 fice in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 

8 were involved in the peace processes, or are oth9 erwise in the public eye; 

10 (B) support human rights defenders, espe11 cially those who defend the rights of women and 

12 girls and the aspirations of the Afghan people 

13 for a democratic future based on the respect for 

14 human rights, good governance, and the rule of 

15 law; 

16 (C) support the Afghan people in their 

17 struggle for survival, human rights, and democ18 racy; 

19 (D) support the comprehensive documenta20 tion of human rights abuses committed by the 

21 Taliban since the group’s takeover of the coun22 try in August 2021; 

23 (E) hold the Taliban to account for its 

24 human rights abuses; 


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1 (F) expedite processing and evacuation of 

2 Afghan Priority 1 (P–1), Priority 2 (P–2), and 

3 Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants for 

4 refugee resettlement; and 

5 (G) counter terrorist organizations in Af6 ghanistan including through the use of over-the7 horizon capabilities. 

Æ 


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