From: Afghanistan’s Exiled Civil Society and Human Rights Community
To: EU Member States: Germany, Spain, Czechia, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria
We, Afghanistan’s exiled civil society and human rights community, address you with deep concern and an urgent plea to prevent recent risks of legitimizing repression by the Taliban de facto authorities.
Recently, the German Ministry of Interior announced its intention to seek ways to communicate with the de facto authorities in Afghanistan. This was promptly welcomed by the de facto authorities, who, in response, indicated their interest in such engagement while again demanding international recognition.
We remind the German Government of its commitment to its feminist foreign policy, which aims to integrate gender equality and women’s rights into all aspects of international relations, address global inequalities, and promote human security. Moreover, Germany recently remarked before the UN General Assembly: “Germany remains committed to the Afghan people.”
We have also noted with alarm reports that the German Government has authorized the Munich Consulate to provide services to refugees and migrants who are nationals of Afghanistan. Based on credible information we have received, we are deeply concerned that the Munich Consulate and other missions may be sharing sensitive information with the de facto authorities in Kabul.
Given the grave risk of reprisals, threats, harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, ill-treatment, and enforced disappearance, such actions threaten the already shrinking space for thousands of human rights defenders, journalists, and others in vulnerable situations who continue to advocate for fundamental rights in the face of enormous danger.
We urgently call upon Germany and other EU Member States to immediately cease any measures that could serve to legitimize the de facto authorities and not to normalize a “human rights violating regime” of gender apartheid, consistent with UN Experts. According to Germany itself, with respect to its Initiative on accountability for Afghanistan’s violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: “Unfortunately, the situation has not improved – on the contrary, it is growing even worse, in a most alarming way.” Germany has further stated: “the Federal Government does not politically consider the de facto Taliban government to be the legitimate government of Afghanistan.” Any engagement must be principled and firmly rooted in and conditional upon universally accepted human rights norms and standards.
We appeal to you to uphold your obligations and commitments to human rights, gender equality, and the protection of those who have sacrificed everything to defend these values in Afghanistan.
We stand ready to engage with you to ensure that the rights, safety, and dignity of the people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls, are not further compromised, while also providing support to co-create an effective way forward.