“The Taliban have not changed”, insisted several MEPs and human rights defenders speaking in the European Parliament on Monday 6 September at a committee meeting on the situation of women in Afghanistan.
“We all see them making promises to the Western media and governments. Meanwhile we also, through our contacts on the ground, hear reports of illegal detentions, summary executions, door to door searches, restrictions imposed on women. The Taliban’s actions are not in line with their promises”, said Shaharzad Akbar, Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).
“What has changed is the fact that they are now doing public relations. We should not let them convince us”, added Assita Kanko (ECR, Belgium). “Don't be naive”, Samira Rafaela (Renew Europe, Netherlands) hammered home to the European Commission. Miguel Urbán Crespo (The Left, Spain) also said that “we must not choose to believe the empty words of the Taliban”, arguing that the EU should “face up” to the risks confronting Afghan women. “We cannot recognise” the Taliban, repeated, as well, Isabel Wiseler-Lima (EPP, Luxembourg), drawing attention to the plight of women judges.
While there is no question of recognition at this stage, the EU has defined the conditions for “operational engagement” with the Taliban (see EUROPE 12783/1). These conditions include respect for women’s rights and the Rule of law. A condition to which Evelyn Regner (S&D, Austria), Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights (FEMM), reiterated her commitment on Monday.
“Let me assure you that the respect of women’s and girls rights will be a condition for any political dialogue or engagement with the Taliban and the new government”, said Andreas von Brandt, head of the EU delegation to Afghanistan.
Fact-finding mission. Calling for “concrete” commitments from Europeans, Shaharzad Akbar called on the EU to work with national governments in the run-up to the September session of the UN Human Rights Council to launch a fact-finding mission to investigate the human rights situation, including women’s rights, in Afghanistan.
“We need a strong fact-finding mission: we need this mechanism to document the atrocities. This is not much to ask from Afghans who have lost and sacrificed so much, who live in fear and uncertainty”, she said, supported by several MEPs.
Among them, Hannah Neumann (Greens/EFA, Germany) called on the EU to take its responsibility by supporting the creation of the fact-finding mission and by “seriously” addressing the issue of resettlement of displaced people. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)