A group of civil society members in Spain staged a protest to express their apprehensions about Afghanistan’s embassy engaging with the Taliban-run Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul. They contend that this move has the potential to lead to the recognition of the Taliban regime and an escalation in extremism and terrorism in Europe, particularly Spain.
In a statement, the protesters underscored the security risks associated with the embassy’s engagement with the Taliban, given the group’s established connections with global terrorist organizations like Al-Qaida. Additionally, they expressed concerns that this engagement could jeopardize the lives of political refugees from Afghanistan and other regional countries residing in Spain.
On October 6, the Afghan embassy in Spain made an official announcement about its intention to engage with the Taliban-run foreign ministry for the provision of consulate services.
Sources familiar with the situation have indicated that the Taliban is exerting political and economic pressure on Afghan embassies and general consulates worldwide to engage with the current regime in Afghanistan.
The protesters presented a series of demands, urging the Spanish government to take this matter seriously and prevent any interaction with the Taliban to mitigate the growth of extremism. They also called upon the United Nations, human rights organizations, and the international community to make comprehensive efforts to establish an inclusive and lawful government, while also recognizing the Taliban’s war crimes, the Hazara genocide, and gender apartheid in Afghanistan.
The organizers of the demonstration, who are vocal against the Taliban’s repressive policies, stressed that the group has not only failed to honor the promises it made in Doha but has also violated fundamental human rights by imposing draconian laws.
“Women, who make up half of Afghanistan’s population, have been stripped of their human rights solely due to their gender,” the statement lamented.
