On February 17, 2024, the Human Rights Activists Union (HRAU) organized a powerful demonstration in Düsseldorf, Germany, coinciding with the United Nations Doha Meeting on Afghanistan. The gathering brought together members of the Afghan diaspora, human rights defenders, journalists, and activists who raised their voices against the Taliban’s tyranny and the misguided international approach toward Afghanistan.
Participants carried banners and chanted slogans condemning the Taliban’s crimes and the ongoing repression in Afghanistan. They also called on the United Nations and the international community to review and reform their policies toward Afghanistan, ensuring that no initiative leads to the recognition or legitimization of the Taliban regime.
During the demonstration, the Union’s official resolution—titled “The Resolution of the February 18, 2024, Demonstration in Connection with the Doha Meeting”—was publicly read and adopted. The resolution strongly emphasized that the Taliban is a terrorist organization responsible for grave human rights violations, including ethnic persecution, gender apartheid, and the suppression of media and civil liberties.
Among the key points of the resolution were:
- A firm call for the United Nations to appoint an impartial special envoy for Afghanistan who truly represents the will of the Afghan people.
- A demand that the Taliban be formally recognized as a terrorist group, and that any attempt to legitimize or normalize relations with them be rejected as immoral and unlawful.
- A request for the United States to safeguard Afghanistan’s frozen national reserves until a legitimate and representative government is formed.
- A demand for the international community to criminalize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity, and to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of atrocities in Afghanistan.
- A call for the recognition of the ongoing genocide of the Hazara community and for the creation of international investigative teams to ensure justice and accountability.
The demonstrators reiterated that Afghanistan’s crisis cannot be resolved through superficial political compromise but requires a deep structural and moral examination of the roots of violence, extremism, and impunity that have plagued the nation for decades.
The Düsseldorf protest stood as a resounding reminder that the people of Afghanistan have not surrendered their demand for freedom, justice, and democracy. It also reaffirmed the mission of the Human Rights Activists Union to unite voices across continents for a future built on dignity, equality, and hope.