In a powerful joint statement, dozens of Afghan women’s protest movements have denounced Russia’s recognition of the Taliban, describing it as a “shameful, immoral act that stands in stark contrast to humanitarian and political principles.”
The statement, issued today (Friday, 4 July), warns that recognizing the Taliban means deliberately ignoring the grim reality in Afghanistan and turning a blind eye to thousands of systematic human rights violations.
According to the protesting women, the Russian government has chosen to overlook the Taliban’s severe restrictions on the fundamental rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls.
“The Taliban do not represent the Afghan people, nor do they safeguard the country’s interests,” the statement reads. “They are an ideological, violent, and regressive group that has turned Afghanistan into a place where women are stripped of even the most basic human rights and the voice of freedom has been silenced.”
The women’s movements further stressed that Russia’s recognition of the Taliban is “not just political collusion with an oppressive regime, but a direct insult to the struggles of the Afghan people — especially women — and a clear blow to human rights principles around the world.”
The protesting women also urged the international community, global institutions, and responsible governments to break their silence and stand against the recognition of what they called a “totalitarian, misogynistic, and brutal regime.”
On Thursday evening, Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced that it officially recognizes the Taliban government in Afghanistan — making Russia the first country to formally do so since the group seized power more than four years ago.
