Karolina Tagaris

ATHENS (Reuters). – Lawyer Bibi Chaman Haizi heard that the Taliban had taken over Afghanistan. She fled to hide from them and set fire to every document she owned. After that, she fled from the country.

Hafizi worked in the legal field and, like many others, was driven out of Afghanistan by her coworkers, the Counter Narcotics Justice Centre.

As she was sitting in her bare-bones apartment, in the Greek capital, she stated, “When the Taliban came we felt fear.” They will murder us if they take us into their hands.”

Hafizi and her journalist husband, along with their children and their two kids, were on the move for seven weeks. She moved around four different cities until she was evacuated to Greece.

The couple is now indefinitely stranded, with little work and very few belongings. They will have to endure months of bureaucracy until they reach their final destination.

She said, “The women who worked for justice now live in poverty.”

The two decades that the Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001 saw great progress for Afghan women, who joined previously all-male institutions like politics, media, and the judiciary.

The Taliban returned to power in August and pledged that they would protect the rights of women in Islamic law. They also announced an “amnesty for all ex-state workers.”

However, advocates are worried about a return to days gone by when females were prohibited from working and were expelled from schools.

Hafizi declared, “I request the international community not recognize the Taliban.” They say something different than they actually do.

Suhail Shaheen was a Taliban member in Doha. He denied that women lawyers and judges had been evaded.

“They’re trying to resettle in Western Countries, under this pretext,” said he. We have promised general amnesty, and we will keep that promise.”

UNDER THREAT

Afghanistan boasts approximately 500 women registered lawyers and 250 women judges. These women were doing dangerous work long before the Taliban came to power.

Hafizi, who had been fearful for her own safety for months after two Supreme Court female judges were shot to death by unidentified gunmen in Jan.

Friba Qraishi stated that the Taliban would threaten judges with “attacks on your homes” and “we will enter your courtroom”. Friba Quraishi is a judge who oversaw cases like the 2016 attack against the German consulate at Mazar-i-Sharif as well as the 2017 murder of a Spanish Red Cross physiotherapist.

Quaraishi, who was working at the court, fled her office the day after the Taliban took her town. She feared the Taliban would follow her.

“I handed down the sentence to the criminals that were arrested. “They knew me well and they were threatening to kill me,” she stated.

Quraishi claimed that she was in hiding when Quraishi received four calls from Taliban callers. Quraishi said that they found her number and threatened to kill me.

Quraishi fled Afghanistan because she realized she could no more leave the home with her children and could not return to school.

“I could not see a way forward for me or my kids… “There was no light,” she stated.

Quraishi now lives in Athens with the hope of reuniting his Dutch family and being able to return to work.

Greece announced that 367 Afghan citizens arrived in Athens, mainly as judiciary workers on Sunday. They were given temporary shelter.

Few Afghans are able to imagine ever returning after Afghanistan is plunged into deep financial crisis.

Hafizi stated that “it will get worse.” There is no hope in a country with no jobs and desperate people trying to flee, Hafizi said.