About

Foundation of Solidarity for Justice (Victims Network) is the first organization that works with the victims of war for the past three years in Afghanistan. The Victims Network was established for the first time to help and raise the voices of the Victims of the conflict in Afghanistan by providing them psychotherapy services, awareness raising workshops, sharing the stories and experiences of the victims through print and electronic media, documentation of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Victims Network for the first time in the history of Afghanistan established Victims Shuras (Councils) in Kabul.

The Victims Network by understanding the reality that the Afghanistan society has a huge number of people who have been victims of the war crimes and crimes against humanity are facing different kind of social, economical and cultural problems and are at risk of re-victimization.

The Victims Network was established in realizing the fact that in every stage of almost thirty years of war, civilians have suffered terrible traumas, including killings, rape, being killed and handicapped by landmines, the disappearance of their relatives, the rape of women and children and the loss of their homes and lands. During the period of the Soviet invasion (1978- 1992), the Soviet Forces and Communist Government in Afghanistan carried out great human rights violations, including torture, executions, bombings of whole villages in the country side, the holding of prisoners without trial, and the disappearance of thousand of people.

After the fall of communist regime Afghanistan went through a terrible civil war between the mujahideen factions. During the years of (1992- 1996) when there was civil wars, innocent people were targeted by factions who accused them of being enemies because of their ethnicity.

The Mujahideen government was overthrown by the Taliban who ruled Afghanistan between 1996- 2001 in which thousands of people were killed and abused by the Taliban. Massacre of civilians, public executions and amputations, public punishments and other forms of cruel and inhuman degrading acts were imposed on innocent civilians particularly women during this period.

Even the period after 2001 and after the international military invasion in Afghanistan has included many violations by the Afghan Government and the Coalition in the war on terror. The uses of aerial bombings, arbitrary detentions and torture have led to the suffering of many Afghan people.

The Foundation of Solidarity for Justice (FOSJ) for testing the legal rights and advocates on behalf of the victims of war by collaborating and Networking with the victims in all over Afghanistan.

Political Desire and Transitional Justice in Afghanistan

In January 2007 the Parliament of Afghanistan passed a controversial law called Amnesty Bill which provides Amnesty from the judicial prosecution for all people who were engaged in the Afghan conflict since 1978. The Amnesty Bill was passed without any consultation with the victims and survivors of the conflict and it was a grave breach of their basic right which is knowing the truth and access to justice. ( Link to the PDF of the Law)

Also during the past years every time when there was any report on war crimes and prosecution of war criminals it was always the perpetrators who were raising their voices and defending their position and what was missing was the voices of victims within this context. The reason for the absence of victims voices was:

1. Lack of protection by government toward victims.
   
   
2.  Most of the perpetrators are still on power.
   
   
3. Lack of any legal support or document that based on that victims could raise their voices.