RASC News Agency: In a congressional session on Tuesday, Rina Amiri, the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistani Women, described the situation of women in Afghanistan as “catastrophic” and emphasized that “normalization of relations with the Taliban must be contingent upon adherence to human rights.” Amiri warned that indifference to the Taliban’s violations of women’s rights poses a dangerous precedent for global human rights standards. She stated that any engagement with the Taliban should be conditioned on their treatment of Afghanistani women.
The Congressional Human Rights Commission convened a session on Tuesday, coinciding with the third anniversary of the Afghanistan government’s collapse, to focus on the rights of Afghanistani women and girls. Participants included Rina Amiri, Heather Barr, Associate Director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, and Afghanistani human rights activists Wahida Amiri and Mitra Mehran. Rina Amiri reported that during their three-year rule, the Taliban have systematically violated the rights of women, ethnic and religious minorities, freedom of expression, and committed violence against former government officials and security forces. She remarked, “The Taliban’s treatment of women and girls has been particularly egregious, constituting gender-based persecution.”
She highlighted that those opposing Taliban policies often face arrest and disappearance, along with their families. Amiri expressed strong support for the efforts of Afghanistani women resisting the Taliban and asserted that “all diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan must prioritize human rights, especially those of Afghanistani women and girls.” Amiri emphasized that improved relations between the United States and the Taliban hinge on advancements in human rights in Afghanistan. She stated that the Afghanistani people do not support the Taliban’s policies, as they desire their daughters to receive education, work, and participate in public life.
The U.S. representative also referenced United Nations sanctions against 135 individuals and five entities linked to the Taliban, highlighting these measures as international tools to pressure and hold the Taliban accountable. She criticized the global community’s passive stance, asserting that “support for human rights is not merely a moral obligation but a strategic necessity.” Amiri stressed that respect for women’s rights is integral to the interests of countries worldwide.
According to Amiri, ignoring the violation of women’s rights in Afghanistan may embolden other human rights-violating governments to emulate the Taliban, further eroding citizens’ rights globally.
