“Although the school that was attacked is affiliated to the military, its students are considered civilians and are protected persons under the Geneva Conventions,” said Karim Lahidji, President of FIDH. “This attack is therefore not only tragic and horrendous, but also a war crime under international law.”
The Taliban has repeatedly expressed its disregard for the rights of civilians, especially women, and continues to violate international human rights and humanitarian law. This latest attack is yet another reprehensible example of the Taliban’s attitude towards human rights and international law and must not be ignored.
FIDH calls upon the government of Pakistan to pursue and hold accountable those who continue to orchestrate such attacks, and insist that no political negotiations can be held with the Taliban until the latter respect international law and the most basic rights of civilians.