The true cost of being a female judge under Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

After six failed attemts a female judge has made a miraculous escape from Afghanistan along with 10 family members thanks to the efforts of an Australian evacuation team.

Judge Shakila Abawi Shigarf at her work in Afghanistan before the return of the Taliban.

Shakira Abawi Shigarf has spent 25 years dispensing justice to criminals but now she’s on the run, wanted by her own government — and Australia is her only hope of safety.

Her “crime” is being a woman and a judge in Afghanistan who locked up many of the Taliban now running that troubled country.

Luckily Judge Shakila is now safe thanks to the International Association of Women Judges and crucially its board member, NSW District Court Judge Robyn Tupman, who has been instrumental in her escape.

“Had Judge Shakila stayed in Afghanistan it’s likely her family would have been slaughtered in front of her, likely her daughters would have been passed around and raped and likely her grandchildren would have had their throats slit or sold into sex slavery,” evacuation team member Kay Danes told The Sunday Telegraph.

After six failed attempts Judge Shakila and her 10 family members have made it to the safety of Greece and are awaiting visas to make Australia their home.

Judge Shakila Abawi Shigarf at her work in Afghanistan before the return of the Taliban.

“The Taliban cannot abide the concept of women sitting in judgment and especially so sitting in judgment on men,” Judge Tupman told the Sunday Telegraph.

Judge Tupman has been working closely with Dr Danes behind the scenes and is exhausted and relieved Judge Shakila and her family made it to safety.

“Judge Shakila has had about five or six similar failed attempts to leave and also occasions where she has been asked to make a choice about which members of her family she would leave behind, which she has not been prepared to do,” Judge Tupman said.

Dr Danes answered the call for help from Judge Tupman and worked day and night to secure the evacuation of Judge Shakila’s family and hundreds of others with GAP Legal Services.

“There’s still a lot to do as we assist them with their resettlement to Australia. But just knowing Judge Shakila and her family no longer have to stay awake at night worrying whether or not the Taliban are coming to slaughter them all, is such a relief,” Dr Danes said.

Judge Shakila Abawi Shigarf pictured with her family in Greece.

In the last two weeks alone, Dr Danes has helped over 40 families — 500 individuals — cross various borders.

Sadly there are hundreds more judges trying to escape Afghanistan.

Like them, on August 15 — when the Taliban entered Kabul — Judge Shakila was at court to start a normal day of work.

“All staff rushed out of the court to get home safely before the Taliban could come inside and kill us or harm us,” she said.

“I reached home around 5pm that day hiding and taking back roads so I was not stopped or identified by the Taliban. It was the most bizarre situation. All I was thinking of was to reach home and make sure my family is safe.”

That evening the Taliban came to Judge Shakila’s apartment block, taking away neighbours who worked in the parliament and other government agencies.

“That was the scariest night of my life, we feared for our lives and we thought there was no way we could survive once the Taliban showed their true colours,” she said.

Judge Robyn Tupman of the NSW District Court played a key role in getting Shakira Abawi Shigarf to safety.

“My family and I were hiding in our relatives’ houses, we changed our location many times so that they wouldn’t track us.

“During this time I emailed several countries in the hope to be granted humanitarian visas so that we could get evacuated before August 31.

“I was relieved when my family and I were granted humanitarian visas by the esteemed Australian Government.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get evacuated before August 31 due to the suicide attack that occurred at the Kabul airport.

“We had given up until one day we got a phone call advising us to travel to Mazar-e-Sharif where flights were being arranged to rescue those who were at high risk.

“Fortunately, after a month, the judge’s charter evacuation trip took place. I was relieved to be able to safely escape but was sad deep inside leaving my country.”

TALIBAN PUT A TARGET ON FEMALE JUDGE

Sending powerful gunmen to jail for murder, rape, extortion and terrorism earnt Shakila Abawi Shigarf countless threats over her 25 years as a judge but for the most part the Afghanistan government provided security “to some extent”.

On August 15 when the Taliban entered Kabul, she was at the court to start a normal day of work.

“All staff rushed out of the court to get home safely before the Taliban could come inside and kill us or harm us,” she told the Sunday Telegraph.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE FULL Q AND A WITH SHAKILA ABAWI SHIGARF

“I reached home around 5pm that day hiding and taking back roads so I was not stopped or identified by the Taliban. It was the most bizarre situation. All I was thinking of was to reach home and make sure my family is safe.”

That evening the Taliban came to Judge Shakila’s apartment, taking away neighbours who worked in the parliament and other government agencies.

“That was the scariest night of my life, we feared for our lives and we thought there was no way we could survive once the Taliban showed their true colours.”

Text messages between Judge Shakila and Kay Danes as they negotiate her safe passage out of Kabul and into Greece.

Text messages between Judge Shakila and Kay Danes as they negotiate her safe passage out of Kabul and into Greece.

The judges were prevented from going to the court, their and our salaries were cut off and our bank accounts were confiscated.

“My family and I were hiding in our relatives’ houses, we changed our location many times so that they wouldn’t track us.

“During this time I emailed several countries in the hope to be granted humanitarian visas so that we could get evacuated before August 31.

“I was relieved when my family and I were granted humanitarian visas by the esteemed Australian Government.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get evacuated before August 31 due to the suicide attack that occurred at the Kabul airport.

Judge Shakila said she had no choice but to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power. Picture: Wakil Kohsar/AFP

“We had given up until one day we got a phone call advising us to travel to Mazar-e-Sharif where flights were being arranged to rescue those who were at high risk.

“Fortunately, after a month, the judge’s charter evacuation trip took place. I was relieved to be able to safely escape but was sad deep inside leaving my country but I knew I had to do this in order to keep my family and me safe and give them a safer and better future.”

HUMANITARIAN VISA PLEA

Lawyers and migrant agencies across Australia are calling on the Federal Government to extend the November 22 deadline on the expiration of 449 humanitarian visas.

GAP Legal Services has made an urgent appeal to Minister Alex Hawke.

“It is impossible for families to fill out yet another complex visa application when many of them are having to relocate to avoid being killed because they once worked for our Government or an Australian mission, and while we are also still in the process of evacuating many to safety,” Kay Danes, who works with GAP told the Sunday Telegraph.

“The way things stand, many Australian visa holders do not have access to the internet to download the 842 visa application needed to start the process to convert their current temporary visa to a more permanent one.

“All the internet cafes are controlled by Taliban.

“We can assist these families with the application process, however, we need more time.”

Originally published as The true cost of being a female judge under Taliban-ruled Afghanistan