The repressive environment in Afghanistan, including public executions and violence against women
TA-9-2024-0160 · P9_TA(2024)0160 · PE760.486
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Parliament's resolution of 14 March 2024 condemns the Taliban's repression in Afghanistan, including public executions, flogging and stoning, and the erasure of women and girls from public life.¶¶ It calls for women's and girls' access to education and work to be restored, for the support system for victims of violence to be reopened, and for victims held in prison to be released.¶¶ It urges the de facto authorities to abolish capital punishment, halt public executions and end persecution of women, girls, LGBTIQ+ people and ethnic and religious minorities.¶ It demands the release of detained human rights defenders, insists on strictly conditional engagement with the Taliban, and supports accountability through the International Criminal Court and a UN Independent Investigative Mechanism.¶¶¶ It urges the EU and Member States to increase humanitarian aid, issue humanitarian visas to persecuted women and human rights defenders, and finish evacuating local Afghan staff.¶
Key points
- Expresses grave concern about the humanitarian and human rights crises in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover and recalls Afghanistan's international human rights obligations.¶
- Condemns the Taliban's enforcement of Sharia and the attempted erasure of women and girls from public life as gender persecution and gender apartheid, and calls for their full participation in public life to be restored.¶
- Calls on the de facto Afghan authorities to reopen the nationwide support system for victims of violence against women and girls, ensuring shelter, medical care, legal recourse and reparations.¶
- Calls for victims of violence against women and girls to be released from prison, where they are held in inhumane conditions.¶
- Urges the de facto authorities to abolish capital punishment, halt public executions and cruel punishments, and end discrimination and persecution of women, girls, LGBTIQ+ people and ethnic and religious minorities.¶
- Condemns the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders Manizha Seddiqi, Ahmad Fahim Azimi, Sediqullah Afghan, Fardin Fedayee and Ezatullah Zwab, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.¶
- Insists on maintaining strictly conditional engagement with the Taliban based on the five benchmarks set by the Council and the UN Special Rapporteur's recommendations.¶
- Supports Afghan civil society's calls to hold the de facto authorities accountable through the International Criminal Court investigation, a UN Independent Investigative Mechanism and expanded EU restrictive measures.¶
- Urges the EU and Member States to increase humanitarian aid and funding for basic needs, livelihoods and Afghan civil society, to issue humanitarian visas to persecuted women and human rights defenders, and to finish evacuating local Afghan staff.¶
- Calls on the international community and regional actors to maintain pressure on the de facto Afghan authorities, and highlights that the forced return of Afghans puts them at risk.¶
Who is affected
- Women and girls in Afghanistan, who face restrictions on work, travel, healthcare, education, public places and sports.¶¶
- Ethnic and religious minorities such as Hazaras and Tajiks, facing growing repression and discrimination.¶¶
- Human rights defenders detained in Afghanistan, including five named individuals.¶
- The EU and Member States, urged to increase aid, issue humanitarian visas and complete evacuations.¶
- The de facto Afghan authorities, called on to halt executions, release prisoners and reopen support systems.¶¶