Persecution of Hazara
Afghanistan Country Focus
The EASO's report "Afghanistan Country Focus" can be used to support the factual claims and legal arguments made by the applicant. The following are relevant excerpts, as well as the link to the entire report.
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"During the Taliban rule between 1996 and 2001, several massacres were perpetrated on the Hazara: in Mazar-e Sharif in 1998 and in Yakawlang (Yakaolang), Bamyan in 2001. After the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, the situation of the Hazara community was reported to have improved: as noted by a researcher, Michael Semple, the Hazara ‘maximized their participation in the new political, economic and social fields, in particular education.’ However, new security threats emerged for the Shia Muslim (Hazara) community from 2016 and onwards as the ISKP was established as a new conflict actor in Afghanistan carrying out attacks targeting, inter alia, Hazaras." Page 41
"With the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan, instances of violence against the Hazara were reported to have increased." Page 42
"Forced evictions of Hazaras also reportedly took place. . . According to the Afghan human rights expert, in areas where evictions took place, it seemed to occur due to a perception of the Hazara minority as ‘inferior’, making it relatively easy for local Taliban authorities to grab their property and force them out of their homes without risking much." Page 42
"The Afghan human rights expert further stated that some Taliban fighters had the mindset that they could harass or discriminate people from the Hazara community without being held accountable, but it depended on the view and mindset among the fighters. The source gave an example of a colleague who is a member of the Hazara community who struggled to get the same service at the passport office as non-Hazara colleagues. The source thought that the anti-Hazara mindset was widespread among Taliban fighters, not only for having an ‘identifiable’ ethnicity but also due the Hazara community’s engagement in the former government and in social progress in general." Page 43