Women’s Rights Group Urges EU to Cancel Taliban Delegation Invitation to Brussels
The People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women has called on the European Union to revoke the Taliban officials’ invitation to travel to Brussels for talks on returning Afghan migrants, reaffirming the stance of non-recognition of the Taliban administration. The organization warned that any official engagement regarding the deportation of refugees could have serious legal and humanitarian consequences.
In a statement released on Thursday, June 11, the tribunal said that discussions about returning migrants who risk facing harassment, detention, or even threats to their lives upon return increase the danger of violating international refugee laws, particularly the principle of non-refoulement. This principle prevents countries from forcibly returning individuals who are under serious threat.
The People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women demanded an immediate halt to all deportations to Afghanistan, increased support for Afghan refugees, and for the EU to engage with civil society, women’s rights organizations, and democratic forces instead of negotiating with the Taliban administration. The group believes that legitimizing the Taliban through official meetings could further complicate the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
Members of the tribunal accused the Taliban administration of committing crimes against humanity through gender-based persecution and described the EU’s actions as a worrying step toward normalizing relations with a regime responsible for what they called ‘gender apartheid’ and widespread violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan. They emphasized that such a process could undermine efforts to hold the Taliban accountable.
The statement concludes by affirming the tribunal’s solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls protesting the Taliban’s restrictions, and urges the EU to stand with the victims rather than the oppressors.
Previously, the European Union invited Taliban representatives to Brussels for talks on the deportation of Afghan refugees, a move that has drawn criticism from European lawmakers and human rights organizations. The European Commission has confirmed it is coordinating with Swedish officials to plan technical meetings with a Taliban delegation this summer, though the exact dates have not been finalized.
If the visit proceeds, it would mark the first official hosting of Taliban officials by the EU since the fall of Kabul in August 2021. The People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women is a symbolic and unofficial mechanism created by Afghan human rights activists with support from the Permanent People’s Tribunal, aimed at documenting and highlighting the targeted repression of women and girls in Afghanistan.
