The suspension of the relocation process for local staff and human rights defenders places the lives of dozens of committed individuals at serious risk.

The suspension of the relocation process for local staff and human rights defenders places the lives of dozens of committed individuals at serious risk.

The potential interruption of this process by the incoming German government is an alarming indication of neglect toward the fate of local employees and human rights advocates, especially women who, for years, have worked alongside German institutions in support of universal human rights values. Such a decision could leave them vulnerable to direct, retaliatory, and extortion-based threats from the Taliban and extremist groups, exposing them not only to structural violence and gender apartheid, but also turning them into tools of political pressure against the German government and the international community.

Continuing the relocation process with urgency, care, and precision is not only a humanitarian imperative, but also a moral, political, and historical responsibility for Germany, a country that has long stood at the forefront of defending human rights, particularly women’s rights.

These women, who breathe each moment in fear and anxiety, are deeply distressed by the possibility of the process being suspended. With hope placed in Germany’s commitment to its ethical obligations, they urge the government to treat the protection of its local colleagues and women partners not as a mere promise, but as an essential and pressing priority.

We call on all civil society institutions, human rights organizations, media outlets, and women’s rights activists to unite in strong solidarity and advocate for the protection of these individuals’ lives.

Purple Saturdays Movement
Date: 24 April