After protests in Afghanistan, Taliban banned protests, UN questioned promises

A few hours after the demonstrators will take to the streets of several Afghan cities against the government, the Taliban banned protests on Wednesday.

The Interior Ministry of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” considered that the protesters “disturbed civil order and caused harassment”, therefore, “No one should try to organize a protest at this time under any circumstances.”

In this sense, now, the motive, slogans, place and time of a demonstration must be communicated to the security and justice services at least 24 hours before it takes place, as the group said in a statement, the first since the newly appointed government.

This Wednesday, a group of Afghan women marched from an area dominated by the Hazara in western Kabul, a historically marginalized minority that also does not appear on the list of ministers unveiled by the insurgents and dominated by the old Taliban guard, protest the new composition of government, according to videos shared on social networks.

Protesters showed slogans in favor of “work, education and freedom” and chanted that “a cabinet without women fails”. Taliban militiamen tried to intervene in the march, which nevertheless continued at the insistence of the women.

Protests continue in Afghanistan, despite periodic violent incidents. At least two protesters were killed and seven injured on Tuesday after the Taliban opened fire during a protest in Herat.according to a neighbor, Najibulá Sahi.

For its part, The UN on Wednesday denounced that in parts of Afghanistan there are clear attacks on women’s freedom and questioned the Taliban’s promises to protect their rights.

According to UN Women, with the announcement on Tuesday of an all-male government, the group has already lost a first “Opportunity to show the world that they are truly engaged.”

The agency’s deputy representative in Afghanistan, Alison davidian, declared herself very disappointed by the absence of women in the Executive and assured that “This calls into question recent commitments to protect and respect the rights of women and girls.”

Davidian, speaking via videoconference from Kabul, deemed “unacceptable” a government composed only of men and also criticized the apparent decision to end the Ministry for Women, while calling on the Taliban to clarify their agenda in this area.

The group, he recalled, reiterated that women’s rights will be respected within the framework of Islam, but since his arrival in power, limitations have been denounced “on a daily basis”.

Among other things, Davidian said that reports indicate that in some areas women are prohibited from leaving their homes, while in others they are only allowed to do so with certain clothes or have been forced to quit their jobs.

In addition, he ensured that UN Women It received reports of attacks on women’s protection centers and expressed serious concern over the crackdown on peaceful protests in which women took to the streets to claim their rights. “Now is the time for the Taliban to show that they rule for all Afghans and that they have changed.”, he stressed.

Davidian pointed out that despite the difficult situation in which women in Afghanistan lived, over the past decades, they had recorded significant progress especially in three areas: the legal recognition of gender equality, the visibility of women in many areas of work and the possibility for girls to study.

(With information from EFE and EuropaPress)

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