ISLAMABAD: The European Parliament has adopted a resolution, condemning the Taliban’s penal code, calling for an immediate end to public floggings and executions in Afghanistan, and urging sanctions against Taliban leaders over ongoing human rights abuses.
Lawmakers approved the resolution on May 21 with 480 votes in favor, five against and 83 abstentions, reported Afghanistan International, a London-based media organization focusing on Afghan affairs, on Thursday .
In the Afghanistan resolution, members of the European Parliament said the Taliban’s penal code has institutionalized the “systematic persecution” of women and girls and contributed to slavery, corporal punishment and widespread violations of fundamental rights, including what lawmakers described as gender apartheid.
The resolution called on Taliban authorities to immediately repeal the penal code and lift restrictions imposed on women and girls, individuals, religious minorities and other vulnerable groups.
European lawmakers also stressed the implementation of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court and called for expanded human rights sanctions targeting Taliban leaders.
The parliament further stressed the need for increased humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people while maintaining the European Union’s policy of non-recognition and non-normalization toward the Taliban administration.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education, limits on employment and strict controls on public life. Human rights organizations and international bodies have repeatedly criticized the measures as discriminatory and in violation of international law.
