The European Union in a statement has urged the Taliban to cease what it described as “systematic and systemic” abuses against women and girls in Afghanistan.
According to the statement, these actions by the Taliban “may amount to gender persecution,” which constitutes a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which Afghanistan is a State Party.
The EU expressed deep concern over a recent decree issued by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The decree, the EU noted, not only reaffirms but also extends severe restrictions on the lives of Afghans, including enforced dress codes that require women to cover their bodies and faces in public. Additionally, the decree mandates that women’s voices must not be heard in public, effectively stripping Afghan women of their fundamental right to freedom of expression.
The statement highlighted that the decree grants the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice authority beyond its previous advisory role, now empowered to enforce these restrictive measures. The EU warned that this shift, coupled with the punishable restrictions under Taliban law, violates Afghanistan’s legal obligations and international treaties, including the right to due process.
The EU characterized the decree as a severe setback for the rights of Afghan women and girls and emphasized that it cannot tolerate the ongoing erosion of these rights.
While Taliban officials have publicly sought recognition from the international community, the EU pointed out that this decree presents yet another self-imposed barrier to normalizing relations.
The European Union reiterated its commitment to standing by the women and girls of Afghanistan, as well as all those threatened by the Taliban’s policies.
