KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The European Parliament has formally registered a petition demanding the recognition of “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan and the designation of the Taliban as a “terrorist organization,” and has referred it to its Committee on Petitions for review.
In an official letter to Baktash Siawash, a former member of the Afghanistan parliament who initiated the petition, the European Parliament said the committee will review the submission and communicate its findings in writing.
The letter, issued on behalf of the Parliament’s Secretary-General, noted that consideration of the petition may take time due to the large number of submissions the institution receives each year.
The petition registration follows several days of protest by Mr. Siawash outside the EU Parliament building in Brussels, where he advocated for the rights of Afghan women and girls. He collected thousands of signatures to support the formal submission. He also held a similar protest in Strasbourg, where the Parliament holds plenary sessions.
Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the group has imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, effectively barring them from secondary and higher education, many forms of employment, and broad participation in public life. Women are also required to adhere to strict dress codes and need a male guardian for long-distance travel.
UN experts, international human rights organizations, and activists have described the systematic policies as “gender apartheid,” arguing they deliberately subjugate women and girls solely on the basis of gender. They have repeatedly called on the United Nations and world leaders to recognize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity under international law, though no formal legal proceedings have been launched to date.
The Taliban authorities defend their policies as consistent with their strict interpretation of Islamic law and have given no indication they intend to relax the measures despite mounting international criticism and pressure.