Mounir SATOURI (Greens/EFA, FR), Chair of the Subcommittee on human rights (DROI) in Afghanistan holds a press conference on the situation of human rights for women in Afghanistan with with Tahmina SALIK, founder of Empowerment for Her, advocate for women's rights and empowerment, Parwana IBRAHIMKHAIL, founder of the Women's Movement for Peace and Freedom, and women's rights advocate, Farukh Leqa UNCHIZADAH, President of the Women’s Rights Organization recognized human rights activist in Afghanistan, Zakia KHUDADADI, Afghan athlete and European champion, Parasto YARI, Afghan lawyer and activist, Shukria BARAKZAI, former Afghan MP and Ambassador to Norway. Afghan women testify in the European Parliament. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Strasbourg

EU - Afghanistan (T)

respect for human rights in the world (T)

Human rights (T2)

press conference

SATOURI, Mounir (Greens/EFA, FR)

women's rights (T)

Press conference by Mounir SATOURI (Greens/EFA, FR), Chair of the DROI Subcommittee on human rights in Afghanistan: Afghan women testify in the European Parliament

SOUNDBITE (French), Mounir SATOURI (Greens/EFA, FR), Chair of the DROI Subcommittee, First of all, I'd like to underline that the initiative for this delegation was aimed to represent all ethnic groups in Afghanistan. We think that is vital to rebuild an Afghanistan, an alternative Afghanistan, where the different ethnic communities live together in peace and can plan a positive future together. The political message that I would like to bring, and that we've tried to put on the table, is that the EU will help protect Afghan refugees.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mounir SATOURI (Greens/EFA, FR), Chair of the DROI Subcommittee, The situation of women in the country and in neighbouring countries is a disaster, and the EU must take its responsibilities to protect these people. We will put in the resolution the deplorable apartheid applied by the Taliban at the moment, and you'll have the opportunity to say this. We must not normalise relations with that regime.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mounir SATOURI (Greens/EFA, FR), Chair of the DROI Subcommittee, It's not a regime like any other. And whatever the reason, whatever the arguments, the European Union, given its values and principles, should not normalise its relationship with the regime. And I'll give you the floor straight away. I'm really delighted that you're here so that you can speak to the European press.

SOUNDBITE (English), Shukria BRAKZAI, Afghan politician Good evening. Thank you so much. First of all, our solidarity is with all the victims from war, particularly with the people of Palestine in around the globe, those African countries that people are lasting their life. Today, I'm here to echo what is the situation of Afghan women inside of Afghanistan. I do understand the international media have been occupied by Ukraine, Russia, Gaza. But there's also another catastrophe affecting more than 40 million population on this earth.

SOUNDBITE (English), Shukria BRAKZAI, Afghan politician Just simply the country where three years back was your allies, three years back standing with you. Three years back, Afghans work under your flag and your flag was dropping inside of that country. We cannot forget simply they are human. And the Afghan women's situation inside of Afghanistan and also outside of Afghanistan is not really pleasant. Why? We've been through so much. We are in a state that inside of our country, even we are not counting as a human being.

SOUNDBITE (English), Shukria BRAKZAI, Afghan politician The lack of recognition of human rights, the lack of any kind of legal document between citizen and state, and the systematic erase of Afghan women from the society, which is, I simply call and call it a gender apartheid in Afghanistan. It's screaming very loud. The situation of the children in Afghanistan is also not very good situation. And if you see overall the picture of a country where been paid millions of life without knowing why, it's time for us to stand with the values that European Union, European Parliament believe and trust on.

SOUNDBITE (English), Shukria BRAKZAI, Afghan politician It's time to pay back the good friendship and the share efforts we made in Afghanistan. It's time to restore back justice and equality for a nation where today they don't have a voice. It's time to be a voice of them, voice of those speech less people where they cannot reach anywhere. It's time to give a clear picture out of geopolitics and political policies or individual.

SOUNDBITE (English), Shukria BRAKZAI, Afghan politician It's time to do not compromise with anyone about the rights of women, neither in Afghanistan, neither in any part of the world. So this is my message for you. I'm a woman. For 27 years I worked during the first Taliban inside of Afghanistan. I lost my two kids. And still, after 27 years of effort, putting my life in my kids life in danger. Still, I'm asking for the rights of education. Still, I'm asking to be count as a human being in my country. Still, I am looking for a government to represent my people. Still, I'm asking for justice. Is that justice? Is that what this 21st century? Is that what we should be?

SOUNDBITE (English), Shukria BRAKZAI, Afghan politician I think it's time for every citizen in the globe to wake up and stop the war machine. Stop the extremists. Stop any fight under the name of race, religion, country, geography, power and wealth. It's our blood. It's not white, it's red. We are also humans. Same as you are. I also have a daughter, she likes to be educated. She wants to work. She wants to raise her kids inside of Afghanistan. But those are just a dream.

SOUNDBITE (English), Shukria BRAKZAI, Afghan politician I have students, more than 10,000 inside of Afghanistan. On hte deily basis they ask me, professor, when the things will change? When we will go to university? When do we will go back to our normal life?It's been three years and this is the time we want to see action. Action from those nations, individuals, organisation and collective efforts such as European Parliament to stand for the rights of Afghan under name of humanity, to stand with the rights of human rights globally and generally without any discrimination.

SOUNDBITE (English), Shukria BRAKZAI, Afghan politician We shouldn't, we shouldn't, we shouldn't politicise human rights anymore. Humans are human. No matter if it's Jew, Muslim, Christian, Hindu or whatever. We should respect the human dignity, and this is the time that we should say to the world that all those international conventions are not piece of show. Those international convention was made efforts to make this earth to be better place to live. Those conventions are about equality. Those conventions are about human rights. Those conventions are about this new modern work and about globalisation. And let's prove we are not playing politics with other rights. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tahmina SALIK, Founder of the organisation Empowerment for her I'm not sure where to start, because, today has been actually a good day. In spite of all the difficult times that Afghan women, and us in the diaspora and Afghan women in exile have experienced. Finally, today, I felt like maybe our voices have been heard. I felt like it's being echoed back to us, and I felt the support. So first and foremost, thank you for that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tahmina SALIK, Founder of the organisation Empowerment for her When I went to Afghanistan during the Taliban, in 2022, I went to connect with the women rights activists. I saw brave Afghan women without anything, without even any financial support, without they have been basically ripped off all their rights, but they still were gathering, going out on the streets, standing in front of a soldier with weapons and saying, I demand my rights. That kind of courage is what has made my voice louder in here. And I promised them that we will not forget them. We will not let the world forget them.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tahmina SALIK, Founder of the organisation Empowerment for her And when I told them, do you really believe? When you stand, say, I want my rights, that he will give you that. The answer was no. They are not community communicating with the Taliban, their communities communicating with us who promised them to stand by them. The world who completely left them alone all of a sudden but they have not given up. We are not asking just to help us. We are saying, partner with us. We are taking the lead. We are fighting inside and outside Afghanistan, but we can not fight it without the support of us who believe in human rights, us who call ourselves woman rights activists, human rights activists.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tahmina SALIK, Founder of the organisation Empowerment for her I believe, I know, times will change because it always does. And we will make sure that it does, and there will be few who will be able to still call themselves 'human rights activists'. Let's stand on the right side of history and help us support us to also codify gender apartheid as a crime in the international law. Let's make a collective campaign against gender apartheid, because that will help us keep Taliban, and not just Taliban but anywhere where it's happening gender apartheid, for example, also in Iran, it will give us a tool to be able to bring them to the court.

SOUNDBITE (English), Parasto YARI, Afghan Lawyer, Who am I standing here? I am one of the women from Afghanistan. The women are removed systematically from the society. They are not go to their school. They are not good to the work. They are not go to the society and they are not systematically they removed for the society unjust. I'm calling for the European Union and the world, and the human rights activist and, Human Rights Committee and the who and which countries support the human rights. Please stand behind of the Afghan women, because the Afghan women should lead their country. And the Afghan women are the alternative of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Faruck Leqa UNCHIZADAH, President of a women rights organisation, That is difficult for me to address. Only one problem that Taliban committed in Afghanistan. However, since three years, Taliban committed dozens, hundreds, thousands cases, human rights violations in Afghanistan. Taliban are corrupt. IT groups. Taliban are doing corruption. Taliban committed war crime. Taliban committed humanity, humanity, crimes and Taliban violated human rights in Afghanistan. Afghanistan signed, the numbers of treaties in the past.

SOUNDBITE (English), Faruck Leqa UNCHIZADAH, President of a women rights organisation, Unfortunately, since Talibans came to power, they broke all the treaties. Afghanistan joined with anti-torture, convention. Unfortunately, since Talibans came, they never respect for the anti, torture convention. They arrest the protesters. They imprison the protesters and they killed many people. with torture inside of the prison. Talibans are doing gender apartheid. They never respect for that Cedaw convention or convention. Taliban broke all the regulation and convention that Afghanistan signed.

SOUNDBITE (English), Faruck Leqa UNCHIZADAH, President of a women rights organisation, I think that, if possible, establish an international monitoring mechanism through the UN and European Union to document human rights violations against women in Afghanistan. This could lead to accountability measures and further pressure to the Talibans. Thank you very much.

Q&As with the press If you agree, I will now open the floor to questions. Do we have questions in the room? I don't see any question. We have people connected online. Yes. Sorry. Emmanuelle. Joy for Brexit and flicks of the of, fears that, EU Taliban relations will be normalised without any kind of sign.,

Speaker 8 the last declaration was, quite clear perhaps,, from Mister Minister.

Speaker 9 the count could the fear that, reasonable prevail in the situation on the ground?

Speaker 8 But lots of reasons, because it's easier to talk about humanitarian actions and issues and health. That fear is still there. The message I wanted to be put across today was, regardless of why, including realpolitik, we don't have the right to normalise relations with the regime, and we need to carry on crying that from the rooftops. As we've just heard, there are other conflicts elsewhere. We in the EP and and in Europe have been concerned with two conflicts., Russia, Ukraine and the Near East and what's happening in Afghanistan. Afghanistan? That's less visible in the media. So we need to remind people that we need to carry on looking at this. The fate of the Afghan, Afghan men and women, because there are men also been involved in this. And the merits repeating, we need to stand firmer. And I hope that Thursday's resolution will be, enough. In terms of gender apartheid, that needs to go into the resolution and mobilisation against the regime needs to be on the agenda.

Q&As with the press Can I add something to.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tahmina SALIK, Founder of the organisation Empowerment for her Yeah. Okay. There's a question. Sure.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tahmina SALIK, Founder of the organisation Empowerment for her Yeah, I, I would like to mention that we should not forget, as we had been kind of,, what's happening in Afghanistan is not coming as a shock for us because we we were expecting it knowing the Taliban. So I can almost stand here until what's next? Let's not wait. When they come in our, countries again, as it has happened. And before we take action. Because right now, Afghanistan has became a terrorist haven. There are terrorist groups operating inside Afghanistan. And that can have enormous consequences, not just for Afghanistan, but for the entire world. So if not for them, for us, ourselves, we should stop that from happening.

Q&As with the press there's another two other questions in the room. I will ask you to make them short, please, because we have interpretation.

Q&As with the press Five minutes more, but thank you.

Speaker 8 Analysts, all the journalists from Kurdish television. The European Union. What can it do specifically? What should it do? For women. The Afghan nation is very much linked to the issue of women. So, let me Mr.. Many, as a parliamentarian as well, you're better placed to, look at where to take things better. Well, I'm not going to do that, but please go ahead. First.

Q&As with the press Well, what European Parliament cannot do. European Parliament is not an institution, just only for Europe. Europe means some values. History. I think codifying gender apartheid. The European Parliament can do that. Standing and recognising the efforts of Afghan women, or simply the way European Union like to start engagement with the Taliban. European Parliament, European Union can start being engaged in giving floor to the women of Afghanistan and give them practical. Why our effort cannot be seen, cannot be named, cannot be counted. The lost of Afghans is a big loss. And remember, if we let things to be normalised one day, the extremism will knocking your door here. Because what is today going on in Afghanistan? We lost democracy and as such a bad dictatorship win. Is that what you want to deliver a message as a result of democracy, results of being allies with Western results of working results of letting all the flags and nations to be in your country. And again, you will let your country to be a safe haven for all terrorist groups and activity. I think it's time for a European Parliament, European nation to rethink and recount whom they stand and what they like to do. It's not only about Afghanistan, it's about the values. It's about what European thinking. They innovate, they bring, and they are the founder of those values, which is we called equality. We call justice. We called women's rights. We called human rights, simple as that. We are not asking anyone to bring star from the sky. We ask everyone according to their capacity, just be loyal with us and just recognise.

Q&As with the press Just give us a place. How good will be if we can collaborate together.

Q&As with the press If a women Afghan women have a vision in a very civilised, we are all face here. Guess in Strasbourg you will have all the update firsthand news. You will be able to cooperate with Afghanistan, with your allies. You will be able to solve the problem of millions of people through one recognition, not more. Sorry. Maybe I'm too high. Demand women. But this is what I have been here 22 years back as a journalist, then as a member of Parliament, then as a head of defence committee, then as an ambassador. But today people are going up. I am advocate still. I am proud about the journey I had, but I don't want my fellow Afghans younger generation to suffer the way we've been suffered. It's time to pray back or to pay back the trust we had, the life we paid and the dignity we believe.

Q&As with the press as you said. So well, that.

Q&As with the press What? Maybe we should start.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tahmina SALIK, Founder of the organisation Empowerment for her What we should stop doing, then first start doing,, normalising of the Taliban is not just about acknowledging that. Yes, we are. It's about travelling there, taking pictures, smiling. It's about having no strategy and having meetings with them all the time. It's about believing and what they say instead of seeing what they're doing. It's about telling us again and again. I feel sometimes I'm sorry to use but but gaslighted at times. Like when I told them this was going to happen. This is not coming as a shock that Taliban believes even my voice is forbidden. I was told no. There are some in the group that actually believes in education and woman rights and human rights, where all those Taliban. Then why are they not doing anything? So first and foremost, maybe we should stop believing what Taliban are saying and start believing what we are communicating and what we have been communicating in three years, because we have wasted so much of our precious time listening to what they have to say. Let's connect with the civil society. Let's connect with the Afghan woman. Let's connect with the groups and parties, whatever that are fighting Taliban right now. Let's give them platform because they should be the future of Afghanistan. They should be not. They will be the future of Afghanistan, and they should be the ones we partner. I think we have been so Taliban centralised and focussed that we have forget that we actually someone I said so bravely, which I love, that leverage requires courage. Let's first accept that we can do something and then listen to what we have been saying and all these years, and we still have a lot to say. There are a lot have it happening. Not just only woman movement, but men are also having things are happening there. Political parties, let's find them, connect with them, give them platform and what we are doing today.