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Ezatullah Bakhshi

Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institutions of Civil Society and Human Rights in Afghanistan (ICSHRA)Human Rights Defender | Civil Society Activist | Member of International Human Rights Organizations and NetworksEzatullah Bakhshi, born in 1997 in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, is a human rights defender, civil society activist, and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institutions of Civil Society and Human Rights in Afghanistan (ICSHRA).

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Political Science from Parwan University.He began his civil society and human rights activities during his university years, focusing on social justice, women’s rights, minority protection, fundamental freedoms, and civic participation.

In 2018, he was appointed Provincial Head of the Committed Youth Organization of Afghanistan in Parwan Province. In 2019, he participated in the establishment of the Social Council for People’s Unity in Parwan and served as a member of its leadership and as a media officer. In 2020, he founded and led the Institutions of Civil Society of Parwan Province.

Following the political change in Afghanistan in 2021 and the increasing restrictions and human rights violations, Bakhshi expanded his work in the field of human rights and women’s rights. In 2021, he founded the Institutions of Civil Society and Human Rights in Afghanistan (ICSHRA) with the aim of supporting and advocating for women’s rights, including the rights to work and education, documenting human rights violations, supporting victims, and amplifying the voice of Afghan civil society at national and international levels.

In Afghanistan, Bakhshi participated in a number of peaceful protests and gatherings in defense of human rights and women’s rights. He also played an organizing and leadership role in some peaceful protest activities against the policies and restrictions imposed by the Taliban. His work has focused on peaceful methods, civil advocacy, documentation, and raising public awareness about human rights.

On 25 June 2023, due to his peaceful human rights activities, Bakhshi was arrested by Taliban intelligence and spent several days in detention, where he was subjected to torture. Following his release on bail, due to security concerns and threats related to his human rights activities, he was forced to leave Afghanistan and sought refuge in Pakistan.

After arriving in Pakistan, he continued his human rights and civil society activities. He has participated in and taken leadership roles in advocacy programs, peaceful protests, and awareness campaigns in support of refugees, human rights defenders at risk, and Afghan women.

In 2025, Ezatullah Bakhshi became one of the founders of the Global Network for the Support of Afghan Women, working to support and advocate for the rights of Afghan women.

Bakhshi has also worked in the areas of documenting human rights violations, advocacy, victim support, grassroots mobilization, and strengthening connections between Afghan civil society and international organizations. His activities in these areas have taken place in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Türkiye.

He is an official member of the International Peace Bureau (IPB), an executive member of the Pakistan International Human Rights Organization (PIHRO), and serves as International Executive Member and In-Charge of the Republic of Afghanistan at the World Human Rights Protection Organisation (WHRPO).

His official profile on the WHRPO website also identifies him in this organizational role.

Ezatullah Bakhshi’s work is grounded in the universal principles of human rights, justice, equality, fundamental freedoms, human dignity, and the protection of individuals and groups facing discrimination and repression. Through the Institutions of Civil Society and Human Rights in Afghanistan (ICSHRA), he continues to work to document human rights violations, support victims, strengthen civil society, and amplify the voices of human rights defenders and the people of Afghanistan within the international community.