MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the human rights situation in Afghanistan especially the deterioration of women´s rights and attacks against educational institutions,
22.11.2022 - (2022/2955(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules of Procedure
Željana Zovko, Michael Gahler, Isabel Wiseler‑Lima, Christian Sagartz, Loránt Vincze, Vladimír Bilčík, Krzysztof Hetman, Magdalena Adamowicz, Andrey Kovatchev, Gheorghe Falcă, David Lega, Tomasz Frankowski, Sandra Kalniete, Seán Kelly, lAntonio López‑Istúriz White, Vangelis Meimarakis, Luděk Niedermayer, Stanislav Polčák, Sara Skyttedal, Tomáš Zdechovský, David McAllister
on behalf of the PPE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0506/2022
B9‑0526/2022
European Parliament resolution on the human rights situation in Afghanistan especially the deterioration of women´s rights and attacks against educational institutions,
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on Afghanistan,
- having regards to the Taliban’s announcement of the creation of the caretaker government of Afghanistan of 7 September 2021,
- having regard to the Council conclusions on women, peace and security of 14 November 2022,
- having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
- having regards to the UN Refugee Convention of 1951,
- having regards to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women of 1979,
- having regards to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the deteriorating situation for women and girls in Afghanistan continues to be of grave concern; as since the Taliban took power, they had repeatedly asserted that women’s rights were protected under the Sharia law, and yet their repeated edicts had undone women’s position in society, removing them from public life, restricting their rights to freedom of movement, for recently preventing from accessing parks, bathhouses and gyms, closing secondary schools for girls (schools beyond 6th grade remain closed), limiting employment, political participation and making an estimated 850,000 girls at risk of child marriage (source), and economic and sexual exploitation;
B. whereas the Taliban takeover has led to increasing attacks and marginalization of ethnic and religious minority groups in particular Shia/Hazara, Hindu and Sikh, and ethnic groups who have little or no presence in their de facto structure according to various reports;
C. whereas the Taliban have been arbitrarily arresting critical voices, such as journalists, human rights defenders, women activists and protestors, keeping them in detention with no charge or trial and access to defence attorney for a long period of time, as well as subjecting them to torture;
D. whereas the humanitarian situation has been worsening due to cuts in international development assistance, furthermore this situation is exacerbated by the increasing drought and flash floods due to climate change; whereas the number of internally displaced people due to conflict and climate changes remained high;
E. whereas a deadly suicide attack carried out by terrorists on Friday, 30 September 2022 at the Kaaj Higher Educational Center in the Shiite majority neighbourhood of Dasht-e-Barchi of Kabul as a result of which 53 people and at least 19 students lost their lives;
F. whereas on 4 November 2022, Taliban detained women human rights defenders Zarifa Yaqoobi and her colleagues during a press conference announcing the formation of “Afghan Women Movement for Equality” in Dasht-e Barchi area of Kabul; whereas on 8 November, prominent young activist Farhat Popalzai was arrested by the Taliban, who is one of the founders of the ‘Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women’; whereas on 13 November, another woman human rights defender, Humaira Yusuf, was taken into custody by the Taliban;
G. whereas the Council in its Conclusions on women, peace and security of 11 November 2022 concludes that the deteriorating situation for women and girls in Afghanistan continues to be of grave concern and condemns the systematic rollback by the Taliban of women’s and girls’ human rights and fundamental freedoms; whereas it calls for targeted and substantial efforts by the High Representative, the Commission and the Member States to address the situation and to ensure participation of Afghan women in policy dialogues concerning Afghanistan; whereas it recognises the importance of initiatives to further the WPS agenda such as the establishment of the EU-facilitated Afghan Women Leaders’ Forum in this regard;
H. whereas the G-20 within the new humanitarian aid package of €210 million in food assistance for most vulnerable worldwide, foresees €75 million for Afghanistan to address the dramatic food security situation, with an estimated 24 million people in need, as well as needs related to the winter and natural disasters that have recently affected the country;
1. Condemns the additional restrictions by the Taliban on women’s freedom of movement, including the newly announced rules barring women from entering public parks and gyms; reiterates that these restrictions come in addition to the already severe violations by the Taliban of the rights of Afghan women and girls in contradiction to Taliban’s own initial promises and therefore condemns the systematic rollback by the Taliban of women's and girls’ human rights and fundamental freedoms; recalls the particular significance of girls’ education in the aftermath of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan; calls on the de facto authorities of Afghanistan to ensure that all gender-based restrictions on women are lifted and that they can actively participate again in public life in Afghanistan;
2. Acknowledges furthermore the plight and challenges of Afghan women and girls who face double vulnerabilities as members of minority faiths, such as Shia Muslims, Christians, Hindu and Sikh, and even further as a result of their minor age;
3. Calls on the de facto authorities to honour Afghanistan’s obligations under international law, in particular human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, and to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms of all the Afghan population;
4. Demands the respect and protection of rights of women and girls to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly and that immediate steps are taken to guarantee their right to work, the right to movement, the right to political participation, allowing peaceful demonstrations and protest, ceasing violence against activists and journalists, removing restrictions on travel for women and girls, allowing women working for the government and elsewhere to return to work;
5. Calls on the EU to promote equal opportunities to access education around the world; strongly urges the EU through the action of its European External Action Service (EEAS), to counteract the appalling denial of girls’ education; calls on the de facto authorities of Afghanistan to ensure that broad education is equal accessible to all; reiterates its call that schools must be reopened for girls of all ages and students shall be taught according to the modern and international standards to ensure a broad and diverse education where educational opportunities provided to women and girls are equal to that of men and boys; emphasises the need for security of education centres must be guaranteed by the de-facto government countrywide;
6. Condemns the shocking suicide attack carried out at the Kaaj Higher Educational Center in Kabul during preparation for university exams and expresses condolences to the families of the victims; calls upon the Afghan authorities to bring to justice and hold those responsible for the terrorist attack accountable;
7. Condemns the growing number of reports of killings, harassment and intimidation of ethnic and religious minorities, in particular Shia-Muslims, Hazaras and Christians;
8. Calls on the European Commission to continue supporting Afghan human rights activists in exile to advocate and contribute to the improvement of the human rights situation in Afghanistan at the international level; condemns the arrest of women human rights defenders Zarifa Yaqoobi, Farhat Popalzai and Humaira Yusuf and demands their immediate and unconditional release;
9. Calls on the EU and its Member States to actively arrange or support safe passage and evacuations from Afghanistan for all those at risk of being targeted by the Taliban, including human rights defenders, civil society activists, journalists, academics, women who worked in the security, justice and judicial sectors, as well as members of minority ethnic and religious groups and other marginalised communities;
10. Calls on the EU and its Member States to lead on efforts to urgently establish an independent international accountability mechanism on Afghanistan by the United Nations Human Right Council (HRC) with a mandate to comprehensively investigate and document crimes under international law and serious human rights violations and abuses committed in Afghanistan; recalls the urgent convening in September 2022 of the UN Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, and the enhanced dialogue on the human rights situation of women and girls in Afghanistan, highlighting the severe rollback of their rights, stressing the need for their equal participation and protection from violence, following the feedback from the visit of UN’s special rapporteur to the country;
11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, former Members of the Afghan National Assembly, the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Taliban’s political office in Doha.