Afghanistan: Global Campaign Launched to Halt Alleged Land Seizures, Forced Displacement of Hazaras and Shiites

Afghanistan: Global Campaign Launched to Halt Alleged Land Seizures, Forced Displacement of Hazaras and Shiites
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The Hazara Diaspora Network has launched a global online campaign on the social media platform X to protest what it describes as the continued seizure of land and property and the forced displacement of Hazara communities and Shiite Muslims in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. The network has called on the international community and human rights organizations to take action to protect affected residents.

In a statement published on its website, the network said the campaign would continue until the end of October. Its objectives include coordinating efforts to defend human rights, safeguard private property, and support families at risk of losing their homes and land.

The campaign is being conducted under the hashtags #StopHazaraForcedDisplacement and #StopHazaraGenocide, with the aim of drawing international attention to reported violations against Hazaras and Shiites and mobilizing solidarity with affected communities.

The initiative follows reports of land and property seizures by Taliban authorities in areas predominantly inhabited by Hazaras, particularly Omid Sabz, west of the Afghan capital, Kabul. According to previous reports, the Taliban declared more than 1,500 acres of land in the area to be government property.

Reports indicate that several families in the locality have faced pressure in recent weeks to vacate their homes. Local sources have also alleged that some properties cleared of their occupants were subsequently rented to other individuals.

Similar disputes have been reported in Nawabad, a predominantly Hazara area in Ghazni Province, where Taliban authorities reportedly classified at least 1,843 acres of land as government property.

Local and human rights reports indicate that disputes over land and grazing areas between Hazara residents and nomadic groups have recurred over the past several years. Allegations that Taliban authorities have favoured certain parties and exerted pressure on local residents have raised concerns about the potential loss of property by additional families.

The reported land disputes coincide with accounts of the closure of educational centres, media organizations, and Khatam al-Nabiyyin University, which is associated with Afghanistan’s Shiite community. Reports have also described the detention of several Shiite religious and community figures, measures that have drawn criticism and prompted human rights protests.

These developments have intensified concerns among members of the Hazara and Shiite communities about their rights, access to education, freedom of expression, and ability to live securely in their homes.

The Hazara Diaspora Network said its campaign seeks to bring the situation of Hazaras and Shiites in Afghanistan to the attention of global public opinion and demand an end to forced displacement and property confiscation.

The network has urged broader participation in the online initiative and called for solidarity with families facing the threat of displacement. It emphasized the need to uphold the fundamental rights to housing, property ownership, and a life of safety and dignity.