Statement of the Afghanistan Women's New Future Movement (AWNFM) On Russia's Recognition of the Taliban Regime
7/4/20251 min read
In Response to the Russian Federation's Recognition of the Taliban Regime
We, the women and men committed to justice in Afghanistan and members of the Afghanistan Women's New Future Movement (AWNFM), strongly condemn the decision of the Russian Federation to officially recognize the Taliban regime.
The Taliban is not a legitimate government. It is a repressive, misogynistic force that imposed itself on the people of Afghanistan through violence, coercion, and armed force rather than through the will of the people. Since its return to power in August 2021, the Taliban has deprived hundreds of thousands of women, human rights defenders, journalists, artists, and intellectuals of their fundamental rights and freedoms, forcing many into isolation, imprisonment, persecution, torture, and, in some cases, death.
By disregarding the Taliban's systematic human rights violations against women, ethnic and religious minorities, and those who advocate for freedom and democracy, the Russian Federation has chosen to legitimize a regime responsible for widespread repression. This decision represents a betrayal of the principles of human rights and the values enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. It also ignores the aspirations of the Afghan people for freedom, justice, democracy, and the rule of law.
We call upon the international community, the United Nations, the European Union, and all governments and people committed to human rights and democracy to:
Condemn Russia's decision and reject any effort to legitimize the Taliban regime.
Amplify the voices of Afghan women in international forums and decision-making processes.
Stand with the people of Afghanistan and support their peaceful struggle for freedom, justice, equality, and human rights instead of granting legitimacy to a regime built on gender oppression and repression.
History will remember Russia not for its military power, but for the choices it made and the regimes it chose to support. Aligning with oppression and those responsible for grave human rights abuses will remain part of that legacy.
We will not be silenced. We will not forget. We will not surrender.
Afghanistan Women's New Future Movement (AWNFM)