Ezatullah Bakhshi, an Afghan human rights defender, reacted to the invitation of a Taliban delegation to a European Union meeting, describing the move as “one of the most shameful days in the history of the European Union.”
Bakhshi said the invitation comes at a time when thousands of Afghan citizens, human rights defenders, journalists, civil society activists, and protesting women have paid a heavy price over the past years in their struggle to defend freedom and fundamental rights.
He added: “This action is an injustice to the people of Afghanistan, human rights defenders, journalists, and the women who fought in Kabul and other provinces for the right to education, work, and freedom.”
The human rights defender stressed that the European Union should not compromise its human rights values for political interests and short-term considerations.
According to him, the invitation to the Taliban comes despite numerous reports documenting the detention, torture, and killing of former security personnel, severe restrictions on women, and the arrest of journalists in Afghanistan.
Bakhshi warned that normalizing relations with the Taliban without addressing the human rights situation could send a deeply discouraging message to the victims of human rights violations in Afghanistan.
Bakhshi warned that normalizing relations with the Taliban without addressing the human rights situation could send a deeply discouraging message to the victims of human rights violations in Afghanistan.
