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 Afghani-
stan. 
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 jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the people of Afghanistan, con-
demning the Taliban’s assault on human rights and the 
specific targeting of women, girls, and members of reli-
gious 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 vulner-
able communities; 
Whereas the Taliban have placed severe restrictions on 
women and girls, limiting their travel, access to edu-
cation, and livelihoods; 
Whereas, in March 2022, Emir Hibatullah Akhundzada can-
celed plans to reopen girls’ secondary schools, and in De-
cember 2022, the Taliban-run Ministry of Higher Edu-
cation suspended women from attending public and pri-
vate universities, and in January 2023, barred them from 
private universities altogether; 
Whereas the Taliban ordered all local and international non-
governmental organizations to dismiss their female em-
ployees or risk revocation of their licenses, with some ex-
ceptions 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, collec-
tive 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 free-
doms 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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society activists through harassment, interference, sur-
veillance, intimidation, detention, and violence; 
Whereas many Hazaras, Sufis, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, 
Ahmadiyya Muslims, and members of other religious mi-
nority groups face repeated harassment, detention, vio-
lence, 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 commu-
nity 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 ad-
dressing the human rights degradation and internal op-
pression that have the potential to fuel external aggres-
sion; 
Whereas the restrictive policies of the Taliban have under-
mined human rights and exacerbated the ongoing finan-
cial and humanitarian crisis, contributing to an unstable 
operating environment for humanitarian relief with con-
tinued interference and violence against aid workers; 
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Whereas the United Nations estimates that 28,000,000 peo-
ple, or two-thirds of the Afghan population, need humani-
tarian assistance in 2023 and an estimated 19,900,000 
Afghans are experiencing acute food insecurity; 
Whereas the United States supported efforts to build democ-
racy, promote rights for women and girls, and strengthen 
the rule of law in Afghanistan through diplomatic, mili-
tary, 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 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns the Taliban’s ongoing human 
rights abuses against women and girls, members of 
religious and ethnic minorities, civil society leaders 
and activists, humanitarian workers, and journalists, 
among members of other vulnerable groups in Af-
ghanistan, and calls for the group to halt any fur-
ther acts of violence and repression against the Af-
ghan people; 
(2) encourages the Secretary of State, as appro-
priate, to consider determining whether the Taliban 
have committed crimes against humanity in connec-
tion with their treatment of women and girls in Af-
ghanistan; and 
(3) encourages the United States Government 
to work with our allies and partners, including the 
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United Nations and multilateral partners, to develop 
a comprehensive, long-term strategy to— 
(A) counter a resurgence of increased vio-
lence against human rights defenders in Af-
ghanistan, especially against those who defend 
the rights of women and girls, held political of-
fice in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 
were involved in the peace processes, or are oth-
erwise in the public eye; 
(B) support human rights defenders, espe-
cially those who defend the rights of women and 
girls and the aspirations of the Afghan people 
for a democratic future based on the respect for 
human rights, good governance, and the rule of 
law; 
(C) support the Afghan people in their 
struggle for survival, human rights, and democ-
racy; 
(D) support the comprehensive documenta-
tion of human rights abuses committed by the 
Taliban since the group’s takeover of the coun-
try in August 2021; 
(E) hold the Taliban to account for its 
human rights abuses; 
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