Afghan EO/Amicus
PRESS STATEMENT
AFGHAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSE EFFORTS TO SEIZE AFGHANISTAN’S CENTRAL BANK RESERVES IN FEDERAL COURT
On April 20, 2022, several Afghan-American community organizations proudly joined to collectively file a legal statement in the Southern District of New York opposing the effort to seize Afghanistan’s Central Bank reserves by the Biden Administration. The amicus curiae brief was submitted by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) on behalf of Afghans For a Better Tomorrow (AFBT), Project ANAR, Afghan-American Community Organization (AACO), and Global Advocates for Afghanistan (GAA). This amicus brief fulfills part of our obligation to use any and all legal resources at our disposal to ensure that the Afghan community’s voices are heard loud and clear and to ensure that the U.S.-held Afghanistan Central Bank reserves are used for stabilizing the country’s economy and alleviating the humanitarian catastrophe that is currently rapidly deteriorating in Afghanistan. We will continue our efforts and advocacy to overturn President Biden’s disastrous February 11, 2022 Executive Order blocking $3.5 billion U.S.-held Afghanistan Central Bank reserves until legal challenges brought by some victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks are resolved.
“The Afghan people have suffered injustice after injustice–including having to endure brutal Taliban oppression and the seizure of Afghan reserves, leading to the world's worst humanitarian disaster,” says Arash Azizzada, co-director for Afghans For A Better Tomorrow.
“The seizure of funds would be a deep and grave injustice adding to the continued suffering for the Afghan people that would be felt for generations.”
"Dismantling Afghanistan's federal reserve will further endanger millions of Afghans already suffering from one of the world's worst humanitarian crises," says Yosef Mahmood, Director for the Afghan-American Community Organization. "Overturning this Executive Order is critical to ensure some sense of economic stability for Afghanistan and its people."
“Every day, we speak to clients who are still in Afghanistan and their situation grows more dire by the moment. Releasing these funds back to the Afghan people is a critical step in addressing the conditions imposed on Afghans,” says Laila Ayub, Co-Director of Project ANAR.
Afghans For A Better Tomorrow is a progressive, grassroots Afghan-American community and advocacy organization whose aim is to bring about transformative change for Afghans in the United States and beyond.
Project ANAR is an Afghan-led immigration project that has connected thousands of Afghans with legal volunteers in order to apply for Humanitarian Parole to the United States.
The Afghan-American Community Organization is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the Afghan-American community through education and outreach, and promoting civic and social engagement.
—
AMICUS/EXPLAINER
EXPLAINER: WHAT IS AN AMICUS
An amicus brief is filed by an individual or organization that is not a party to the suit but has an interest in the outcome of the Court’s ruling. As an impacted community and one with deep connections to our homeland, the outcome of this case is critical to our community.
The amicus curiae brief was filed in federal court to convince and persuade the Court to oppose a request by some of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks, known as the Havlish Plaintiffs, to seize U.S.-held Afghanistan Central Bank Reserves. After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the Havlish Plaintiffs asked the Court to seize all of Afghanistan’s sovereign central bank reserves to resolve their legal claims against the Taliban in connection to the attacks of 2001. On February 11, 2022, President Biden issued an executive order that put aside $3.5 billion of Da Afghanistan Bank frozen funds for the Havlish Plaintiffs.
—
WHAT DOES THE AMICUS STATE
In the amicus, we argue that Afghan Central Bank reserves “does not belong to the Taliban, which no country in the world has recognized as the legitimate government in Afghanistan. The assets are the assets of and for the Afghan people.”
“It would be both unlawful and profoundly unjust to transfer assets belonging to the Afghan people to satisfy a judgment against the Taliban whose crimes caused [the Havlish Plaintiffs] grievous suffering.”
Read the amicus here and more background here.
Afghan American community organizations came together to oppose efforts to seize Afghanistan’s Central Bank reserves in Federal Court last week.
The money belongs to the Afghan people. Read our statement here:
Tag: @project_anar / @afghanstomorrow / @AfgAmCO / @GlobalAddvforAfg