Help for Afghan Military Judge in Hiding

Introduction: Hi, my name is Dede (pictured below). I am a Seattle-based US Army veteran who previously helped my Afghan translator escape Afghanistan. I am now helping another Afghan ally. I am looking to raise $2,400 to support an Afghan military judge, who I personally know and is in hiding, and his family of five (wife and four young children). Helping this judge is important to me because as a former military lawyer and daughter of Vietnamese refugees myself, I know that he and his family deserve a better life and with luck, hope, and help from others the impossible can be achieved. I appreciate your care and consideration and invite you to donate, read, and share his story.

His story: Since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, this judge (pictured at the top), whose name I am concealing for his safety, has been in hiding from the Taliban and struggling to financially support his family of five. His prior work as a military judge, which was trying and sentencing Taliban members to prison (which I witnessed during my deployment), put his life in grave danger. After the fall of Kabul, those he sentenced were released, and he received death threats from the Taliban. He had no choice but to escape his country of Afghanistan, leaving his family behind. He is now hiding in a third country as the sole provider for his family (since his wife is not allowed to work under Taliban rule). But he is unable to practice law, which was his passion. Instead, he does any work possible, including menial hard labor, and sends money back to his family in Afghanistan. However, his future in this third country grows increasingly dim by the day and his wages there are too small to support his family of five. It is heartbreaking that this is his life now after serving his country honorably and supporting the rule of law there for over a decade. So after nearly two years of living through this humanitarian crisis, this judge has made yet another difficult decision to travel to another country where the chances of a future for him and his family are better.

The Ask: The costs of travel for a displaced person are high. It costs about $2,400, and that's where we can help him. I would like to ask others to join me in supporting this judge and his new efforts to find a better life for his family. He can't do it alone, and our help can get him to the next step. We hope you will donate and give any amount you feel comfortable with. Every dollar helps. Together, we can make a life-changing difference for him and his family. Thank you for your time and consideration, and if you donated, it means the world to him (and me).

How the funds will be used: I will transfer all funds raised here to him or his wife through a money transfer using Western Union. The funds will be used towards 1) covering the costs of his travel to a new country, and 2) providing some direct financial support to his family. I will provide updates on this Gofundme page when the funds are distributed to him.