The position taken by the Russian government in recognizing the Taliban regime, a regime that systematically violates the fundamental human and civil rights of the people of Afghanistan, is deeply regrettable and concerning. Russia, a country whose historical relationship with Afghanistan bears the dark stain of overt aggression and decades-long damage and disruption to Afghanistan’s legal and institutional structures, has once again acted irresponsibly and unjustifiably. This move disregards the voice of a nation under oppression and turns a blind eye to the flagrant and widespread violations of human rights, particularly against Afghan women, who have been cruelly and brutally stripped of all their basic rights.
By granting political legitimacy to an oppressive and rights-violating regime, Russia has, in effect, endorsed a system that operates in clear contradiction to all tenets of Islam and the norms prevalent in Islamic countries, pursuing policies of repression and persecution against the Afghan people.
The people of Afghanistan will undoubtedly overcome this dark and painful period. However, what remains in the collective memory of a nation is the endorsement of injustice, the normalization of oppression, and indifference to the suffering of its people. At a time when Afghan refugees in Iran are subjected to treatment that violates all principles of international law, human dignity, and refugee conventions, and while the people inside Afghanistan face unprecedented injustice under Taliban rule, the recognition of such a regime equates to legitimizing oppression, endorsing broad-based human rights violations, and interfering with a nation’s right to self-determination.
The Taliban in no way represent the will or voice of the Afghan people. We call upon the people, civil institutions, and legal professionals of Russia, Iran, and other countries pursuing similar policies to take a principled stand against these irresponsible actions, even when cloaked in the language of national interest. Now is the time to embody the minimal moral awakening of human conscience, international ethics, and customary norms.
The Afghanistan legal Studies and Researchs Association urges the United Nations, its member states, and other international institutions to give this matter their serious attention.
We firmly believe that free, enlightened, and conscientious individuals in every nation, regardless of the misguided politics of their ruling governments, can and must strive for justice and uphold human solidarity in times of hardship.