Protest Rally in Madrid Against the Invitation of the Taliban to European Institutions

Protest Rally in Madrid Against the Invitation of the Taliban to European Institutions

Madrid – A large number of Afghan nationals residing in Spain, human rights advocates, and Spanish citizens gathered on Thursday outside the European Parliament office in Madrid to protest any invitation, hosting, or official engagement with the Taliban within European institutions.

Holding banners and chanting slogans in support of Afghan women, the demonstrators emphasized that any official dialogue or interaction with the Taliban would amount to legitimizing a group responsible for widespread human rights violations, the systematic oppression of women, and the implementation of gender-apartheid policies in Afghanistan.

During the rally, participants read a protest resolution stating that over the past four years the Taliban have transformed Afghanistan into a vast prison for women and girls, depriving millions of their fundamental rights to education, employment, freedom of movement, and participation in social and political life.

The resolution also expressed deep concern regarding the Taliban’s recent policies related to forced and child marriages, warning that such measures further threaten the dignity, security, and future of Afghan girls.

The demonstrators stressed that inviting the Taliban to the European Parliament constitutes an insult to the victims of the regime and a disregard for the suffering endured by millions of Afghan women. They argued that negotiations with the Taliban, in the absence of accountability and justice, would normalize repression and legitimize gender apartheid.

The resolution stated:

“The Taliban are not partners in peace; they are perpetrators of gender apartheid, the systematic oppression of women, and widespread human rights violations. The Taliban have no place in the European Parliament; their place is before international courts and the justice system.”

The participants called on the European Parliament to refrain from any actions that could confer legitimacy upon the Taliban and to stand in solidarity with Afghan women.

The rally concluded with several key messages:

• “Do not negotiate with criminals; bring them to justice.”
• “The Taliban have no legitimacy.”
• “The Taliban belong before international courts, not in the European Parliament.”
• “The European Parliament belongs to the victims, not to the perpetrators of gender apartheid.”

The demonstrators further urged the international community to support the victims and to work toward holding the Taliban accountable before international justice mechanisms rather than engaging in negotiations with their oppressors.