IEA asked to end rights violations, systematic gender persecution

KABUL (Pajhwok): Foreign ministers of some European countries have expressed concerns about human rights and women rights situation in Afghanistan and asked authorities to end systematic gender persecution, according to a statement on Sunday.

A statement from the German Foreign Ministry said: “The Munich Security Conference 2024, we, the Foreign Ministers of Albania, Andorra, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, the Netherlands and Romania express our deepest concerns about the ongoing human rights violations of women and girls in Afghanistan, and urge the de facto authorities to put an end to systematic gender persecution, which could amount to crimes against humanity.”

According to the statement, this included the recent wave of detentions of women and girls in Afghanistan by the authorities. “We demand their immediate release and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the fundamental rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.”

“Since our last meeting at the Munich Security Conference in 2023, the Taliban have not made any progress on the protection of human rights in Afghanistan, particularly the fundamental rights of women and girls in all their diversity.”

“The Taliban are responsible for one of the most dire and appalling human rights situations worldwide. By eliminating half of the Afghan population from public life and political decision-making, they put the very future of Afghanistan into jeopardy: Bans on secondary and university education for girls and women as well as bans on women working in NGOs and UN-organizations are striking examples for systematic and systemic discrimination.”

“Strict rules, which violate the freedom of movement of women and exclude women and girls from public spaces, arbitrary detentions of women and cases of forced marriage, are a blatant denial of basic rights of women and girls.”

But the Islamic Emirate led Afghan government said concerns expressed at Munich Conference were irrelevant.

Zabihulllah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate Spokesperson, said: “Afghan citizens, including women, were entitled to their rights, public rights, honor and properties are protected, they have physical and spiritual security, the doors of courts are opened for all Afghans without any discrimination, the economic situation of the country is moving towards stability, the local currency is stable, mega projects are being implemented, development had been made in health, education and infrastructure sectors and the process is ongoing.”

Mujahid said, besides all these developments and progress made in the two and half years, the promotion of Afghanistan’s wrong image and spreading tension and fear about Afghanistan demonstrated the lack of understanding by these countries or some circles provided wrong information intentionally to these types of gatherings.

Mujahid said: “Afghanistan will continue to progress despite the propaganda and disinformation spread by conspirators, Afghanistan ignored such statements and propaganda.”