Demand an end to "honor" killings in Afghanistan

Act Now Last Saturday, a jury in Kabul convicted the mullah who raped a 10-year-old Afghan girl named Brishna to 20 years in prison. Despite this verdict, Brishna's safety is not guaranteed. Because women and girls are still seen as the embodiments of family honor in parts of Afghanistan, rape survivors face the threat of "honor" killings. Insist that the Afghan government enforce an end to these "honor" killings. Dear Tracy, Last Saturday, an Afghan girl named Brishna stood in front of a jury in Kabul to testify against the mullah - or religious leader - who raped her. Brishna is just 10 years old. In what is being seen as a rare and progressive step in the fight for justice for female survivors of sexual violence in Afghanistan, the jury sentenced the mullah to 20 years in prison. However, though her attacker has been sentenced, Brishna remains at risk. Women and girls are still seen as the embodiments of family honor in many regions of Afghanistan. Those who have been raped, or who are seen to have otherwise offended customs, face the threat of "honor" killings - often committed by their own family members - in an attempt to restore what they see as a tarnished family name. Insist that the Afghan government criminalize these "honor" killings. As Brishna stood on the witness stand on Saturday, she cried that the mullah had shamed her and "brought shame" to her father. Views like this, which implicitly place blame on the victim, are commonplace. Stand up for Brishna today. Demand that "honor" killings be outlawed. Afghanistan came a step forward in fighting sexual violence against women with the passage of the Elimination of Violence Against Women law in 2009. However, 'honor" killings are not criminalized under this law as a form of violence against women and girls. Harmful legal provisions that do not protect survivors of sexual violence persist -an article of the Afghan Penal Code still carries reduced sentences for murder on the basis of "honor" as a motivation. Call on authorities to ensure that "honor" killings are treated as serious criminal offenses, and urge them to repeal Article 398 of the Afghan Penal Code. Put an end to discrimination against survivors of sexual violence. Women and girls like Brishna need your voice. Please, make yours heard today. In solidarity, Jasmine Heiss Senior Campaigner, Individuals at Risk Amnesty International USA