On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the respect for human rights in Afghanistan.
Parliament urges Afghanistan’s de-facto authorities to release all those imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights, including education activist Matiullah Wesa, the head of the Afghan PenPath organisation. MEPs also demand an end to the persecution of those Afghans who have been resisting the dramatic rollback of women’s rights in the country since the Taliban took over.
The resolution calls on the EU and its member states to exert diplomatic pressure directly or indirectly on Afghanistan’s de-facto authorities to secure the release of all those arbitrarily detained, as well as to increase support to Afghan groups providing education to women and girls.
MEPs also denounce the Taliban ban on secondary and university education for women in Afghanistan, as well as the ban on women from working for non-governmental organisations and the United Nations. In addition, the resolution urges Afghanistan’s de-facto authorities to fully respect the rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls and to restore their full, equal, and meaningful participation in public life and access to education.
The text was adopted by 529 votes in favour, 2 against and 11 abstentions.
For more details, full text will be available here.
“Every day, morning, evening we receive messages from desperate people eagerly asking when girls schools will open?! I always give them some sort of hope that yes schools will open and for them to be patient. This is our right and till when we should wait,” tweeted Matiullah Wesa on April 25.
