Protest in Paris: “Stop Normalising the Taliban”
- Zan News
- Aug 17
- 2 min read
A number of Afghan organisations, protest movements and citizens gathered in Paris, France, on Sunday (16 August) to mark five years since the fall of the previous government and the Taliban’s return to power. They called for an end to the normalisation of the Taliban, practical support for women and girls, and recognition of the Afghan people’s right to determine their own political future.
Protesters said the Taliban’s policies of excluding women and girls from educational, social, economic and political life should be recognised as “gender apartheid” and that the international community should take practical action in response.
A resolution issued at the protest said that any political or diplomatic normalisation or legitimisation of the Taliban under current conditions is contrary to the rights and demands of the Afghan people. Protesters called on the United Nations, the European Union and European governments to ensure that engagement with the Taliban does not lead to legitimising the group’s rule.
They also stressed the need to reopen schools and universities to girls and women and called for support for women protesters, journalists, students, academics, writers, civil society activists and human rights defenders.
The resolution called on the International Criminal Court and other competent judicial bodies to prosecute those responsible for acts including extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, ethnic and religious persecution, and forced displacement. It stressed that no Taliban official or member should be immune from accountability because of their political or military position.
The protesters also called on governments to uphold the principle of non-refoulement for Afghan refugees and not to deport individuals who would face the risk of torture, persecution or serious harm if returned.
The resolution concluded that the Taliban “do not represent the people of Afghanistan” and that the rule of an armed group cannot be regarded as equivalent to the political legitimacy of the Afghan people. Protesters called on the international community to support a political process leading to the establishment of a “legitimate, inclusive system arising from the will of the Afghan people”.
