In August 2021, the United States ended its involvement in the war in Afghanistan. Thousands began to flee, fearing a takeover by the highly restrictive Taliban government. While some made it out alive, others continue to live in hiding.
Today in Phoenix, County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced plans to help bring home some of those who have been left behind: U.S.-trained Afghan prosecutors.
“These are men and women who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our military members and upheld the law,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “These prosecutors helped us when we needed them; now they need us. They live in daily fear of losing their lives. We cannot turn a blind eye to their dire situation.”
According to the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), there are roughly 1,500 Afghan prosecutors who were trained by U.S. officials to prosecute Taliban and Islamic state militants and placed them in prison. Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, thirty-five Afghan prosecutors have been murdered.
A fundraising campaign called ‘Prosecutors for Prosecutors’ was launched in July 2023 by the APA. The goal is to raise $15 Million to save the lives of the prosecutors and their families by evacuating them and relocating them to a safe country.
At a news conference today, County Attorney Mitchell hosted Najia Mahmodi, the former Chief of Litigation for Violence Against Women for the Afghanistan Attorney General’s Office. Mahmodi was fortunate – she made it out of Afghanistan on one of the last flights from the country. Now here in the United States, she communicates regularly with women prosecutors who have been left behind.
“I am receiving hundreds of messages from the women prosecutors who have been left behind asking for help. Some of these women prosecuted Taliban members who were sent to prison for domestic violence and those members are now free,” said Najia Mahmodi. “I am proud to be the voice to help rescue these women.”
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, under the leadership of County Attorney Mitchell, raised $3,255 for this cause in the last quarter of 2023. According to the APA, the monies raised helped bring one prosecutor from Afghanistan to Virginia earlier this month.
To learn more about the fundraising efforts of the APA, check out the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Prosecutors for Prosecutors webpage.
