European Parliament resolution on the further human rights abuses by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan
Date: 2001-06-14
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Afghanistan, Islam, authoritarian regime, diplomatic relations, government violence, human rights, political situation, sexual discrimination

C 53 E/408

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

28.2.2002

Thursday 14 June 2001

22. Human rights: Afghanistan

B5-0427, 0429, 0442, 0452, 0459 and 0468/2001

European Parliament resolution on the further human rights abuses by the Taliban regime in
Afghanistan

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to its previous resolutions on Afghanistan and in particular its resolution of 15 March

2001 on the situation in Afghanistan including the destruction of its cultural heritage (1),

A. outraged by the decision of 24 May 2001 of the Taliban leadership obliging the Hindi and Sikh

minority to wear a special yellow identification mark on their clothing,

B. whereas the recent decree prohibiting women, both Afghan and foreign, from driving, which purports
to interpret Islamic law, although this interpretation of the Koran and the Sharia is widely disputed in
the Muslim community around the world,

C. whereas the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, despite several international appeals, has not shown any
signs of stopping the practice of crimes against women, public mutilations and capital punishment,
killing of homosexuals, massacres of minorities, destruction of the non-Islamic artistic heritage, and
violation of many other basic human rights,

D.

concerned at the closure of the Italian hospital in Kabul, the staff of which were beaten and/or arrested
by the Taliban religious police,

E.

F.

recalling the Afghan Government(cid:146)s policy of support for international terrorism and for Osama bin
Laden, whom the Taliban refuse to hand over,

appalled by the recent rigid code of conduct for aid workers and foreign visitors forcing them to sign
pledges submitting them to the Taliban interpretation of Islamic law on, for example, dress or adul-
tery, which would be punished by public execution,

G. gravely concerned by fresh attacks by the Taliban on the right of women to work with the refusal to
allow the UN Food Aid programme to recruit Afghan women to conduct a survey on bread distribu-
tion,

H. whereas Afghanistan is confronted with the worst drought in 30 years, aggravated by the already large
number of refugees and internally displaced persons, and an estimated 5 million people will depend
on international food aid supplies,

I. whereas the Pakistani and Saudi Arabian Governments openly support the Taliban regime, financially

and politically,

J. whereas the Muslim community around the world and Mufti Nasr Farid Wasil, the supreme Islamic
religious authority of Egypt and of Sunni Muslims, deny that the Taliban represent the true knowledge
of Islam and also reject their fatwas (religious judgments),

Reiterates its strong condemnation of the Taliban policy of systematically disregarding human dig-

1.
nity;

Believes that progress towards democracy, respect of human rights and the rule of law are the only

2.
way of ending the UN-imposed sanctions in Afghanistan;

(1)

(cid:145)Texts Adopted(cid:146), Item 14.

28.2.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/409

3.
Expresses its deep condemnation, in particular of the Taliban(cid:146)s recent decision to force members of
religious minorities to wear identity marks and underlines that this decision has no precedent in recent
history other than the Nazi persecution of Jews;

Thursday 14 June 2001

Points out to the Taliban regime that forcing persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities to

4.
wear distinctive clothing is an unacceptable form of discrimination prohibited by international law;

5.
Condemns the fresh violation of women(cid:146)s rights and believes that the new Taliban verdicts add a
further and shocking element to the appalling record of human rights abuses of the Taliban regime, well
known for its policies of gender apartheid and systematic suppression of virtually every single individual
liberty;

Notes that the Taliban(cid:146)s policy and administration of justice do not reflect the true values or ideas of

6.
Islam and are categorically rejected by the majority of the Muslim community;

7. Warns the Taliban that such barbarous policies will further isolate their regime and reiterates its call
to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to stop any kind of support of the Taliban;

Calls on Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Pakistan to review their diplomatic recognition of the Taliban

8.
regime;

9. Welcomes the recommendation for a monitoring system to enforce an arms embargo against the
Taliban which the UN panel of experts put forward on 6 June 2001, including a UN monitoring office
and enforcement teams in the six countries bordering Afghanistan, and calls on those countries to fully
cooperate;

10.

Regrets however that as yet no date has been set to begin implementing the measures;

11.
Calls on the Council to step up its pressure on the Taliban regime and reiterates its request to the
Council to make a political contribution to restoring peace to Afghanistan inter alia by coordinating its
initiatives with the neighbouring countries, especially India, Russia and Iran;

12.
Urges the UN to set up an independent committee of inquiry into human rights violations in
Afghanistan in order to better monitor the continuously deteriorating situation and to start preparations
for an international ad hoc tribunal on crimes against humanity committed under Taliban rule;

Urges the Commission to open an ECHO office in Dushanbe in order to cope better with the

13.
humanitarian disaster in the northern part of the country;

Calls on the Commission to provide adequate emergency measures required to support the living
14.
conditions of the population, especially in the areas controlled by forces opposed to the Taliban and also
in the refugee camps in Iran and Pakistan;

15.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Taliban auth-
orities, the Northern Alliance, and the governments of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,
India, China, Russia, Iran, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.