Engaging With Taliban Is Not Recognition, Says German Envoy

In a statement, Behsoodi said individuals had lodged baseless complaints against his office with the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Justice, leading to what he described as a targeted and unjustified crackdown.

“These conspiracies and schemes misled the Ministry of Justice,” he stated, adding that as a result, the office was sealed, four individuals were arrested, and teachers, students, and staff were expelled.

Although the detainees were later released due to a lack of evidence and no formal court ruling, Behsoodi said he learned that his branch office and affiliated seminary in Dashte Barchi had also been shut down.

“The justice minister makes decisions without conducting proper investigations,” he said, announcing his resignation from the religious custodianship of the Mahdavia Mosque and school in protest.

Behsoodi has been an outspoken critic of Taliban policies over the past four years. In a recent address in Balkh, he urged the group to engage with the international community, build ties with neighbouring countries, and recognise Afghanistan’s ethnic and political diversity.

He called on the Taliban to respect the country’s cultural and religious pluralism and to transition their interim government into an inclusive national administration.

“If we have a truly national administration, the world cannot eliminate, humiliate, or ignore us,” Behsoodi said.

According to a statement released by the Taliban, the invitation was extended during a phone conversation between the two officials, marking the first formal contact since Russia officially recognised the Taliban government. Russia recently became the first country to recognise the Taliban regime.

During the call, the two ministers reportedly discussed regional security and cooperation in combating drug trafficking. Lavrov noted that Russia’s recognition of the Taliban government had paved the way for enhanced political, economic and international collaboration, the statement said.

The Moscow Format talks are aimed at fostering dialogue on Afghanistan’s future and regional stability. Although no specific date has been announced, Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, has indicated that the next round of talks is expected to take place between September and October 2025.

The campaign is reportedly being supervised by Mullah Shirin, the Taliban governor of Kandahar and a trusted aide to Akhundzada.

Sources told Afghanistan International that Mullah Shirin traveled to Kabul approximately 10 days ago to oversee the enforcement of the Taliban’s morality code. Shortly after his arrival, a high-level meeting was convened, attended by officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Interior Ministry, and Akhundzada’s representatives. The meeting focused on implementing strict dress codes for women in the capital.

Following the meeting, a directive was issued to enforce mandatory hijab rules more strictly across Kabul. Sources said Akhundzada had received reports indicating that Kabul’s Interior Ministry was not fully cooperating with the enforcement of religious laws, prompting him to send a delegation led by Mullah Shirin to address the issue.

According to sources, internal disagreements exist within the Taliban ranks, particularly between officials in Kandahar and the Haqqani network, over the implementation of these policies.

The delegation led by Mullah Shirin also reportedly traveled to Balkh, Badakhshan, and other provinces to inspect local enforcement of religious laws.

Earlier, Taliban forces in Kandahar detained nearly 400 men for shaving their beards or having Western-style haircuts during a similar campaign.

Since reclaiming power in 2021, the Taliban has issued a series of restrictive edicts, particularly targeting women, as part of a broader effort to remove them from public and civic life.

In recent days, dozens of women and girls have been arrested in several neighborhoods of Kabul, prompting widespread concern among families and rights advocates.

The consulate is expected to formally notify German authorities of its staff’s objections.

A senior diplomatic source confirmed that concerns over human rights and the security of sensitive Afghan citizen documents make it impossible for republic-era diplomats to continue working if Taliban envoys are installed.

The diplomats warned that if their demands are not met, they will formally lower the Afghan tricolour flag and hand over all official documents, equipment, and property to the German Foreign Ministry.

Last week, diplomatic sources revealed that Germany had accepted two Taliban-appointed diplomats to serve at the Afghan Embassy in Berlin and the consulate in Bonn, issuing them visas.

One of the two, Nabrasul Haq, has already arrived in Germany, according to a verified source.

Speaking Tuesday in Tehran during a meeting with Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, Minister of Education Alireza Kazemi said Iran provides extensive educational services to Afghan migrants, including free enrolment in public schools.

Kazemi said the presence of Afghan students has strained the country’s education system, leading to overcrowded classrooms and what he described as a decline in academic performance among Iranian students. He added that Iran is facing a shortage of educational infrastructure and that the public expects government resources to be focused on domestic needs.

Despite these challenges, Kazemi said Iran is ready to provide formal education to all Afghan students through its national remote learning platform. He proposed delivering instruction under a trilateral cooperation agreement and issuing valid academic certificates under Iran’s virtual school framework.

Grandi, who is visiting Iran amid a spike in deportations of Afghan migrants, acknowledged during the meeting that additional funding is needed. He said current constraints have limited the UN’s ability to increase financial support.

He also addressed the Taliban’s continued ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan and said international aid is critical to addressing the broader crisis.

Grandi later met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to Iranian state media, the two discussed facilitating the voluntary return of Afghan refugees.

The UN refugee agency has proposed a trilateral meeting with representatives from Iran and the Taliban, warning that Afghanistan does not have the economic or social capacity to absorb the high number of migrants being deported from neighbouring countries.