RASC News Agency: As Afghanistan approaches the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s seizure of power, protests and international condemnation of the group’s relentless violations of Afghanistani citizens’ rights particularly the systematic oppression of women have surged to unprecedented levels. This year, the scale, coordination, and urgency of these demonstrations exceed those of previous years, reflecting growing alarm over the deepening humanitarian, social, and political crises wrought by the Taliban’s misrule. Afghanistani expatriates in Europe, North America, and other regions have issued joint statements and calls for public demonstrations, emphasizing that participation is not only a civic duty but a moral imperative to support those who continue to endure systemic violence, repression, and deprivation inside Afghanistan.
A coalition of civil society activists and Afghanistani migrants has announced organized protests from August 14 to 17 (24–27 Asad), targeting major cities including Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, Zurich, Washington D.C., Oslo, Amsterdam, Toronto, and São Paulo. According to the call published on Wednesday, August 22, these gatherings will expose the widespread human rights violations perpetrated by the Taliban, underscore the four years of relentless authoritarianism, and highlight the complicity or silence of the international community in failing to protect Afghanistani citizens especially women and children. Organizers stress that the protests aim to raise global awareness and pressure international governments to avoid legitimizing the Taliban regime politically or diplomatically. For years, civil society groups have warned that formal recognition of the Taliban would embolden a regime built on fear, suppression, and systemic injustice. Despite these warnings, Russia remains the only nation to have officially recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan’s governing authority a decision that underscores the risk of international normalization of a regime that has systematically dismantled human rights and civil liberties.
The domestic situation within Afghanistan paints a grim picture. The Taliban have enforced draconian restrictions on women’s education and employment, dismantled independent civil society structures, and imposed pervasive censorship on media and public discourse. Freedom of expression is virtually nonexistent, and dissent is routinely met with arbitrary detention, torture, or execution. Human rights organizations report that these abuses have escalated daily over the past four years, rendering Afghanistan one of the most repressive and authoritarian societies in the world, where survival increasingly depends on compliance with an ideologically rigid, coercive regime. The international protests also reflect a growing determination among Afghanistani expatriates to amplify the voices of those silenced inside Afghanistan, draw attention to the catastrophic social and economic consequences of Taliban rule, and demand that governments prioritize human rights and humanitarian protection over political expediency. Activists warn that continued global inaction risks entrenching Taliban power further and eroding any remaining prospects for human rights, education, and civil liberties in Afghanistan.
In this context, these global demonstrations are not merely symbolic; they represent a concerted effort to challenge the narrative of Taliban legitimacy, confront the international community with its moral responsibility, and mobilize transnational support for Afghanistani women, youth, and other vulnerable populations who remain under the shadow of authoritarian oppression.
