Zubair,
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Unknown
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
On August 24, 2016, suspected Taliban attackers stormed the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul using a car bomb and automatic weapons. The assault resulted in the deaths of sixteen people, including eight university students, one university policeman, and three security guards. Additionally, fifty to fifty-three individuals were injured, some critically. Afghan Special Forces killed three of the attackers. This incident marked the first direct attack on the university, although two professors had been kidnapped just outside the campus a few weeks earlier. Both Taliban and ISIL-KP were suspected though no group or individual claimed the responsibility for the attack.
- Declaratory Statement
Zubair, 28, born in Kabul was studying Political Science at AUAF. Zubair was working at the Etisalat communications company during the day to support his family and going to class at night. Zubair frequently led students as an imam in communal prayers at the university and was described by friends as humble, well respected and well liked.
Zohair Nazari
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
Junbesh-e Roshnayi-e (The Enlightenment Movement) is a grassroots civil disobedience movement of Hazaras created in 2016 in Afghanistan in response to the Afghan government's change in routing plans for proposed international electricity networking, which was perceived as continuing historical anti-Hazara discrimination. The group organised major protests in Afghanistan and internationally during 2016 and 2017, protesting against discrimination.
Ziba Asghari
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
Eighteen students and an administrative officer of Kabul University were killed in the deadly attack on the university of Kabul on Monday, November 03, 2020.
Ziaullah
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Pashtun
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: Bagrami: 34° 31′ 10″ N, 69° 16′ 39″ E
- Description of incident
Known as the "Killing of AGSA," it refers to the collective murder of opponents of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan in the Pul-e-Charkhi Prison in Kabul between 1978 and 1979. The Afghan Intelligence Office, or AGSA (Afghan Agency for Safeguarding National Interest), led by Asadullah Sarwari, had arrested nearly 150,000 people, out of which an estimated number of 27,000 political prisoners were put to death without a single trial, probe, or even allegation. Many Afghan families had no idea where their loved ones had disappeared in the latter part of 1978 and early 1979. A list of those slain that included 5,000 victims of AGSA mass executions was made public by the Dutch Prosecutor's Office in 2013.
- Declaratory Statement
No statement
Zia Marefat
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Malistan: 33° 20′ 48″ N, 67° 12′ 13″ E
- Description of incident
Hundreds of Taliban fighters stormed Malistan District in Ghazni province at the end of July 2021. Taliban fighters seized control of the district following hours of combat with government forces at the time. They immediately initiated search operations, arbitrary detentions, and summary executions of civilians. At least forty civilians, including children and women, were reportedly murdered, and dozens more were arrested and tortured by Taliban combatants throughout the conflict, according to multiple sources, including locals and eyewitnesses.
- Declaratory Statement
No statement
Zia Mahmmodi
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
A suicide bomber has blown himself up inside a Shia Mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul, killing at least 53 people and wounding dozens of others. The explosion happened at the Baqir-ul-uloom mosque in the Darul Aman area as people gathered to mark the end of an important religious period.
Zeba
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Pashtun
- District geolocation of incident
- Bala Buluk: 33° 7′ 27″ N, 62° 39′ 47″ E
- Description of incident
On May 4, 2009, a United States Air Force B-1 Bomber conducted an airstrike on Granai village in Bala Buluk district, Farah Province, resulting in significant civilian casualties. The incident, sometimes referred to as the Granai massacre, became one of the deadliest civilian casualty events involving international military forces in Afghanistan. The exact number of civilian deaths remains a matter of dispute among various investigative bodies. The Afghan government reported approximately 140 civilian fatalities, including 22 adult men and 93 children. Afghanistan's principal human rights organization concluded that 97 civilians were killed, with children comprising the majority of victims. Other estimates place the civilian death toll between 86 and 147 individuals. An initial investigation by the US military assessed that 20-30 civilians were killed alongside 60-65 insurgents. However, these figures were contested by Afghan authorities and international observers. A subsequent, partially released American inquiry acknowledged the limitations of the investigation, stating that a conclusive determination of the civilian casualty count would not be possible. The United States military accepted responsibility for the airstrike and admitted that significant errors occurred in its execution. Official statements acknowledged that the failure to identify the presence of civilians and to minimize collateral damage resulted in unintended civilian casualties.
- Declaratory Statement
No statement
Zawarshah Amini
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Malistan: 33° 20′ 48″ N, 67° 12′ 13″ E
- Description of incident
Hundreds of Taliban fighters stormed Malistan District in Ghazni province at the end of July 2021. Taliban fighters seized control of the district following hours of combat with government forces at the time. They immediately initiated search operations, arbitrary detentions, and summary executions of civilians. At least forty civilians, including children and women, were reportedly murdered, and dozens more were arrested and tortured by Taliban combatants throughout the conflict, according to multiple sources, including locals and eyewitnesses.
- Declaratory Statement
No statement
Zawarsha Haidari
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: Bagrami: 34° 31′ 10″ N, 69° 16′ 39″ E
- Description of incident
Known as the "Killing of AGSA," it refers to the collective murder of opponents of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan in the Pul-e-Charkhi Prison in Kabul between 1978 and 1979. The Afghan Intelligence Office, or AGSA (Afghan Agency for Safeguarding National Interest), led by Asadullah Sarwari, had arrested nearly 150,000 people, out of which an estimated number of 27,000 political prisoners were put to death without a single trial, probe, or even allegation. Many Afghan families had no idea where their loved ones had disappeared in the latter part of 1978 and early 1979. A list of those slain that included 5,000 victims of AGSA mass executions was made public by the Dutch Prosecutor's Office in 2013.
- Declaratory Statement
No statement
Zawar Ali
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Markazi Bihsud: 34° 23′ 23″ N, 67° 55′ 13″ E
- Declaratory Statement
The Girl Who Took on The Role of Her Father Narrator: Alia Victim: Zawar Ali son of Sher Mohammad Date of the incident: 1996 Location of the incident: Markaz-e Behsod, Maidanwordak Alia was only 10 years old when her father was killed. Her father was a clergy with a great deal of influence at the local level. He was known as a peace-loving person and thoroughly rejected the notion of war as a means to resolve conflict. Not only did he not participate in any war, but he actively tried to prevent people from resorting to any form of violence. In his view, war was the source of destruction and brutalities and hence unjustifiable both from a religious as well as rational perspective. According to him, no society could ever be built by war, which is why he actively carried out campaigns against war by reciting verses of the Quran and conducting religious rituals. When the Taliban attacked the Hazarajat region of Afghanistan, Alia’s father once again tried to raise the flag of peace. He gathered the local elders and other influential people to negotiate a settlement with the Taliban. They literally raised a white flag as they approached them. But the Taliban paid no attention to their call for peace and did not even allow them to put forward their requests. On the contrary, they fired and killed all of them including Alia’s father. Later, his body was found with his ring finger cut off. Alia’s father left behind four daughters and a son. Alia was the eldest of them. Naturally, none of them were old enough to work in order satisfy their basic human needs. Later, during the patriarchal regime of the Taliban, it was almost impossible for women and girls to work outside the house. As a result, Alia and her sisters suffered a great deal as they had no regular income and were hence trapped in chronic poverty. Eventually they migrated to Pakistan, where they started to work in a carpet factory. With the money they earned they went to Iran, where they spent a few years before finally returning to Afghanistan. Alia’s sisters got married and so did her brother while Alia assumed the role of her father, giving Quran lessons to meet her and her mother’s financial needs.
The Story of Alia My father went to negotiate a peace agreement with the Taliban when they shot and killed him along with my uncle. Some of the people from the area had begun to fight the Taliban in order to defend themselves and their properties. Other people fled the area as they were fearful of them. Some women even left their children behind and escaped the area without them. Most of the younger people finally left as well and only the elders remained. The war soon spread everywhere and we were forced to migrate to Pakistan where we worked in a carpet factory for a while. Then we went to Iran where my uncle paid for our expenses. My sisters and I went to school there. My brother got a job. When my three sisters eventually got married and returned to Afghanistan with their husbands, I joined them too. Later, my brother got married as well. After the wedding, he and his wife did not stay with us, which affected my mother a great deal. Now my mother does not have a happy life. There are only a few things that remain from my father. I would like to include one of his books, a ring and an overcoat for the Memory Box project. I am including all these things so that the officials and people know that we have not forgotten our loved ones. When the first Memory Box exhibition took place, I was excited to stand next to my father’s box, tell his story and share my pain with my fellow countrymen and women.
Zarkhan (Khawazak) Ahmadzai
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Pashtun
- District geolocation of incident
- Mohammad Agha: 34° 13′ 5″ N, 69° 5′ 56″ E
Zarkai
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Unknown
- District geolocation of incident
- Puli Khumri: 35° 56′ 49″ N, 68° 42′ 16″ E
- Description of incident
On the afternoon of November 6, 2007, at approximately 4:15 PM, an explosion occurred in Pul-e Khumri, the provincial capital of Baghlan Province. The incident took place during a visit by Afghanistan's Parliamentary Economic Commission, which had traveled to the area to attend the reopening ceremony of the newly reconstructed Baghlan Sugar Factory. According to eyewitness accounts, an individual detonated explosives among a crowd of people who had assembled to greet the parliamentary delegation. The attack resulted in between 70 and 97 fatalities, with casualty figures varying across different reports, and injured nearly 200 individuals. A substantial portion of the victims were school students who had gathered in formation to welcome the government officials. Six members of the National Economy Commission of Afghanistan's Parliament were killed in the attack, including the commission's chairman, Sayed Mustafa Kazimi. The other deceased parliamentarians represented various provinces across Afghanistan, including Takhar, Kunar, Helmand, Kunduz, and Kabul. While it was widely believed that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, no group claimed responsibility for the incident. The precise circumstances and motivation behind the attack were never officially confirmed. The general assessment indicated that members of the Afghan Parliament were the primary intended targets of the assault.
- Declaratory Statement
No statement
Zarifa
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
Zarghona
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
Zamira Hussani
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
Zaminali Zafari
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
A suicide attack on october 20, 2017, took place in the Imam Zaman Mosque located in Dasht Barchi, which is the Hazara area of Kabul, when people were there for prayers. As a result of this terrorist attack, 56 people were killed and 55 others were injured.
Zakria Nazari
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
On September 5, 2015, a devastating twin suicide bombing struck the Maiwand Wrestling Club in Dasht-e-Barchi, a predominantly Hazara neighborhood in western Kabul, Afghanistan. The first explosion occurred inside the wrestling club during the early evening hours. As first responders and civilians gathered to assist the victims, a second blast detonated, causing even greater casualties. The attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 30 civilians, including two journalists, Samim Framarz and Ramiz Ahmadi. More than 103 others were injured in the incident. The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP) claimed responsibility for the bombings, stating they specifically targeted the Shia-Hazara community.
Zakira Malikzada
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Tajik
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
On May 12, 2020, three attackers wearing Afghan national security forces uniforms and armed with AK-47 rifles and hand grenades conducted an assault on the maternity ward of Dasht-e-Barchi hospital. After shooting and killing a security guard at the hospital entrance, the attackers entered the facility and proceeded directly to the maternity ward, where 28 women were present at the time. The attackers moved systematically from room to room, firing on patients and throwing hand grenades. The attack resulted in twenty-four deaths, including nineteen women, three children, and one female healthcare worker. Twenty-three people were injured, including twelve women, two children, and one newborn. Following the attack on June 15, 2020, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which operated the maternity ward at Dasht-e-Barchi maternity hospital, announced its decision to end activities and withdraw from the hospital.
Zakia
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
Zakia
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Tajik
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
No one understood what was happening. A thunderous sound followed by a huge explosion blurred the atmosphere. The blue sky and clear sunshine were suddenly gone. Basira can perfectly recall the tragic event but she cannot precisely explain what happened that day. After the explosion, Basira says, “I got up and saw that all my family members were lying on the ground. I was confused, wandering around not knowing what to do. I heard Zakia screaming and calling for me. She asked for water. When I returned with the water Zakia was no longer speaking. I touched her body but it was already cold. Her eyes were open, staring at me. I put her down and ran towards Matiuallah. I was so happy when I realized he was still alive. I hugged him. Suddenly, he stopped crying and I felt something cold and wet in my hand. I saw his belly ripped open and all his intestines coming out.
- Declaratory Statement
Tears Of Joy, Tears of Pain
Narrator: Basira
Victim: Zakia and Matiuallah
Date of the incident: January 25, 1993
Location of the incident: Kabul City
For Basira, her life began to unravel on one bloody afternoon. The cold February weather brought everyone to the yard of the house. A clear sky and plenty of sunlight provided an opportunity for the children to play. Zakia, 6 years old, brought her little brother Matiuallah to the yard to enjoy the sun. Everyone was ready for a beautiful day. The joy and happiness was evident on the faces of all, especially on Zakia’s face.
She was speaking to her little brother as if she were an adult. In her sweet and innocent accent, she told her brother about the light of the sun, the hardships of winter and the good future that lay ahead of them. She showed her toys to her brother and promised him to buy a good toy for him, too.
She took Matiuallah’s hands, rubbed them together, sang a song and then kissed her little brother. Zakia was wearing a red coat. With the reflection of the sunlight and the snowy background, she looked almost purple. Her brownish hair was dancing on her red coat as she was jumping up and down.
Her face was shining and her eyes were hidden under the thickness of her black eyelashes. The big world outside was also very exciting for Matiuallah. He loved laughing, playing and sometimes shouting at his older sister Zakia. Matiullah had fleshy white skin, thick hair and blue eyes. When he smiled, everyone was enchanted.
Watching such a memorable scene in a city where nothing except the sound of guns, rockets and bullets could he heard, made Basira very happy. While watching her children play, she prayed to God to protect them in these difficult times. What she did not realize is that happiness in times of violence is not sustainable and that even a mother’s prayer cannot halt the brutal power of war. That day, a reception was prepared and they were invited to a feast in their beautiful yard. Everything was ready for Basira and her children to forget the horrors of war for a brief moment. Yet, this moment quickly transformed into unspeakable tragedy.
No one understood what was happening. A thunderous sound followed by a huge explosion blurred the atmosphere. The blue sky and clear sunshine were suddenly gone. Basira can perfectly recall the tragic event but she cannot precisely explain what happened that day. After the explosion, Basira says, “I got up and saw that all my family members were lying on the ground. I was confused, wandering around not knowing what to do. I heard Zakia screaming and calling for me. She asked for water. When I returned with the water Zakia was no longer speaking. I touched her body but it was already cold. Her eyes were open, staring at me. I put her down and ran towards Matiuallah. I was so happy when I realized he was still alive. I hugged him. Suddenly, he stopped crying and I felt something cold and wet in my hand. I saw his belly ripped open and all his intestines coming out.
I understood that he was dead just like Zakia. I cried and cried and cried! I was screaming and running around. After that, I cannot remember what happened.” Until today, Basira cannot talk much about that tragic moment. When she speaks about Zakia and Matiuallah, the color of her face changes. Tears flow uncontrollably from her eyes. Sometimes, she cries so much that her headscarf is soaking wet. She says,“I feel that I have a deep wound in my chest. A wound that continuously spits out blood. I’m sure one day I will drown in my own blood.”
Zaki Qasimi
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
Zaki Naebi
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
Junbesh-e Roshnayi-e (The Enlightenment Movement) is a grassroots civil disobedience movement of Hazaras created in 2016 in Afghanistan in response to the Afghan government's change in routing plans for proposed international electricity networking, which was perceived as continuing historical anti-Hazara discrimination. The group organised major protests in Afghanistan and internationally during 2016 and 2017, protesting against discrimination.
Zakaria Mohajer
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
A suicide attack on october 20, 2017, took place in the Imam Zaman Mosque located in Dasht Barchi, which is the Hazara area of Kabul, when people were there for prayers. As a result of this terrorist attack, 56 people were killed and 55 others were injured.
Zakaria Khaliqi
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
A suicide attack on october 20, 2017, took place in the Imam Zaman Mosque located in Dasht Barchi, which is the Hazara area of Kabul, when people were there for prayers. As a result of this terrorist attack, 56 people were killed and 55 others were injured.
Zakaria
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
Zainab Sherzad
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
Zainab Hussaini
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
On April 22, 2018, a suicide bomber detonated his explosive device amidst a large gathering of civilians seeking to obtain electronic identification (e-ID) cards in the Mahtab Qala area of Dasht-e-Barchi, located west of Kabul. The explosion resulted in the deaths of at least 69 civilians, with an additional 120 individuals sustaining injuries. According to official reports, among the victims were 22 women, 17 children, and individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, the injured comprised 52 women, 50 men, and 17 children. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant–Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP) claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they targeted the Hazara-Shia community.
- Declaratory Statement
No statement
Zainab Abdullahi
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E
- Description of incident
The forces of the Taliban group shot and killed a young woman in a checkpoint in the "Dasht Barchi" area. This incident happened on Thursday evening, 14th of January 2022 in "Golaei" area, of the 13th district of Kabul city. The victim of this event has been mentioned as Zainab Abdullahi.
Zaidullah
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Male
- Ethnicity
- Unknown
- District geolocation of incident
- Puli Khumri: 35° 56′ 49″ N, 68° 42′ 16″ E
- Description of incident
On the afternoon of November 6, 2007, at approximately 4:15 PM, an explosion occurred in Pul-e Khumri, the provincial capital of Baghlan Province. The incident took place during a visit by Afghanistan's Parliamentary Economic Commission, which had traveled to the area to attend the reopening ceremony of the newly reconstructed Baghlan Sugar Factory. According to eyewitness accounts, an individual detonated explosives among a crowd of people who had assembled to greet the parliamentary delegation. The attack resulted in between 70 and 97 fatalities, with casualty figures varying across different reports, and injured nearly 200 individuals. A substantial portion of the victims were school students who had gathered in formation to welcome the government officials. Six members of the National Economy Commission of Afghanistan's Parliament were killed in the attack, including the commission's chairman, Sayed Mustafa Kazimi. The other deceased parliamentarians represented various provinces across Afghanistan, including Takhar, Kunar, Helmand, Kunduz, and Kabul. While it was widely believed that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, no group claimed responsibility for the incident. The precise circumstances and motivation behind the attack were never officially confirmed. The general assessment indicated that members of the Afghan Parliament were the primary intended targets of the assault.
- Declaratory Statement
No statement
Zahra Zafari
- Photo of Victim

- Gender
- Female
- Ethnicity
- Hazara
- District geolocation of incident
- Kabul: 34° 31′ 1″ N, 69° 8′ 60″ E