Former Afghan MP Fawzia Koofi described the invitation of Taliban officials to Brussels as a slap in the face of Afghan women and a sign of the growing normalisation of repression in Afghanistan.
In an article published by The Guardian on Wednesday, June 3, Koofi discussed the situation of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule and the continued violations of human rights and restrictive policies targeting women and girls.
The former Afghan parliamentarian wrote that after five years of Taliban rule, there has been no sign of improvement in the condition of women in Afghanistan.
Referring to Taliban restrictions on women and girls, the women’s rights activist wrote that a bird enjoys more legal protection than an Afghan woman.
Koofi also pointed to the rapid expansion of religious schools across Afghanistan, saying that while girls are barred from formal education, these institutions continue to grow without restrictions.
She stressed that Afghanistan has exposed a major gap in the international legal system because there is no effective legal framework to prosecute systematic violations of women’s rights.
Koofi warned that engaging with the Taliban without holding the group accountable risks legitimising repression and human rights abuses in Afghanistan.
She called on governments worldwide to criminalise gender apartheid and end impunity for those responsible in order to hold the Taliban accountable.
Spain’s foreign minister voiced support for Afghan women and girls at a conference on feminist foreign policy, saying their voices would always be heard in Spain despite Taliban efforts to silence them.
The two-day conference, held under the slogan “Building Peace and Democracy”, began on Tuesday, June 2, at Spain’s Foreign Ministry headquarters in Madrid. Government officials, representatives of international organisations, civil society groups and women’s rights activists from around 60 countries are attending the event.
In his remarks, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares referred to a special space at the ministry that hosts the annual “HearUs” conference attended by Afghan women and associations in exile.
He also noted that one of the halls at Spain’s Foreign Ministry has been named after Afghan women, saying the name should remain permanently so that the voices of Afghan women are never silenced.
Albares added that the voice and action of Afghan women are also present at the current conference.
France’s Minister Delegate for International Partnerships, Eléonore Caroit, also described the situation of Afghan women and girls as one of the clearest examples of women’s rights violations in the world and stressed the need for global support.
Fawzia Koofi, Afghan women’s rights activist and politician, spoke during a panel on the role of women in peacebuilding and the future of democracy. She said that the policy of appeasement adopted by some countries towards the Taliban had strengthened the group’s repression of women.
Koofi warned that European countries should not legitimise a culture of gender apartheid under the pretext of deporting migrants.
Two special sessions on Afghanistan are being held during the conference: one on gender apartheid and another on the role of women in peace and democracy. Around 140 civil society organisations and feminist groups are also participating.
The organisers stressed that sustainable peace and genuine democracy are impossible without the full participation of women, and that support for Afghan women must remain part of global commitments to human rights and gender justice.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that no Afghan refugees are currently allowed to enter the United States and that those stranded at Qatar’s Camp As Sayliyah would instead be resettled in other safe countries.
In the same hearing, Senator Chris Coons said that around 1,100 former Afghan colleagues, including 400 children and 150 family members of US service personnel, remain stranded in Qatar.
He warned that these individuals could be sent back to Afghanistan or transferred to countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is currently grappling with the spread of the Ebola virus.
The Democratic senator called on the US Secretary of State to work with Congress to bring these individuals, particularly the family members of US service personnel, to the United States.
Rubio, however, replied: "We're obviously operating right now under a directive that prohibits the entry of Afghans into the United States." He explained that the directive followed last year's attack on members of the National Guard.
Rubio said the United States had been "engaging every single day" with several countries to accept some of these Afghans, and that several countries had indicated their willingness to take in some of those waiting in limbo.
He told Senator Coons that the administration would continue to work to find suitable locations to resettle these individuals.
Following the shooting by an Afghan asylum seeker of US National Guard personnel in Washington last November, the Trump administration tightened restrictions on the admission and travel of Afghans to America. Under a directive, Trump banned the entry into the United States of citizens of 12 countries, including Afghanistan.
American media have reported that the Trump administration is examining a plan to transfer several of the Afghan asylum seekers currently at the Al Sayliyah camp in Qatar to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The plan has drawn widespread criticism. More than 600 former US civilian and military officials, in an open letter, have called on the Secretary of State to abandon the proposal to transfer Afghan asylum seekers to Congo.
Meanwhile, Chris Coons criticised America's current restrictive policies on asylum seekers, saying that those who entered the United States under asylum programmes had been among those who passed the most stringent security vetting and had played an important role in the country's development.
He added that asylum seekers who had fled repression and instability in countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Afghanistan had, over recent decades, made a significant contribution to the progress of the United States.
At least four former Taliban detainees or their relatives told Afghanistan International that prisoners in Taliban detention centres are subjected to torture, mistreatment and forced confessions, and that such practices are continuing.
One former detainee, who asked not to be identified, said the Taliban detained him for 24 hours without any clear charge and subjected him to severe abuse during interrogation.
He alleged that Taliban forces blindfold detainees, tie their hands and feet, and use electric shocks during torture.
Another former prisoner from Kunduz province said many arrests are carried out without evidence of wrongdoing and often involve accusations such as cooperating with opposition groups.
According to him, some detainees continue to face mistreatment and torture even after being transferred to prison facilities.
These accounts emerge amid earlier reports that a young man in Herat died because of torture while in Taliban custody.
A relative of another detainee also described similar experiences in Taliban prisons. According to the family member, his brother was arrested without committing any crime, tortured in detention and later asked to spy for the Taliban among local people after his release.
Another man whose son is currently being held by the Taliban claimed his son was tortured in custody and forced to give a confession.
The sources requested anonymity because of fears of security repercussions and possible risks to themselves and their families.
Previously, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected such reports in an interview with Afghanistan International and insisted that Taliban laws prohibit torture at all stages of detention and imprisonment.
The Taliban’s claims have also been challenged by some former female detainees. Zarifa Yaqobi, a former prisoner, previously said that she and her colleagues were subjected to various forms of torture and forced confessions in Taliban intelligence detention facilities.
Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq Khan, met his Chinese counterpart Yue Xiaoyong to discuss regional security threats and the activities of militant groups operating from Afghan territory.
Sadiq Khan said both sides agreed to strengthen coordination and expand joint counterterrorism cooperation to preserve regional peace and stability.
The meeting comes as China continues its efforts to reduce tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan.
It also follows months of escalating tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban, including border clashes, Pakistani air strikes inside Afghanistan and accusations by Islamabad that militant groups are using Afghan territory to launch attacks.
The Taliban has rejected the allegations, saying insecurity and militant activity in Pakistan are internal matters for Islamabad.
Writing on X on Tuesday, Mohammad Sadiq Khan said the two sides held constructive discussions on regional security, including threats posed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which he said operate from Afghan territory.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella organisation of Islamist militant groups, has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan in recent years.
Islamabad says many members of the group operate from safe havens across the border in Afghanistan, a claim the Afghan Taliban denies.
Pakistan and China have also repeatedly expressed concern about the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.
Beijing accuses the group of seeking to establish an independent state in China’s Xinjiang region.
The talks took place as China has increased its mediating role between Pakistan and Afghanistan. One reason for Beijing’s approach is concern over the impact of instability on regional connectivity projects and Chinese economic interests, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban deteriorated sharply earlier this year following deadly border clashes, leading to the most serious confrontation between the two sides in recent years.
In February, Pakistan carried out air strikes inside Afghanistan and accused the Taliban of sheltering militants, while the Taliban condemned the attacks and denied supporting armed groups.
Since then, China has intensified diplomatic efforts to prevent the crisis from escalating further.
In March, Yue Xiaoyong conducted diplomatic shuttle visits between Islamabad and Kabul, and Beijing also hosted direct talks between Pakistani and Taliban officials in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.
Chinese officials have publicly urged both sides to resolve their disputes through dialogue rather than military action and have supported efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and reaching a broader political understanding.
In April, Pakistan and the Taliban also resumed talks under Chinese mediation to reduce tensions and explore a long-term framework for addressing border security, militant activity and economic cooperation.
Both sides later described the discussions as constructive, while China said the negotiation process was making progress.
The World Food Programme says Afghanistan’s labour market remained weak in the fourth week of May, with daily wage opportunities declining and average access to work falling to fewer than two days per week.
The report, published on Tuesday, June 2, shows that access to work in the fourth week of May fell by 20% compared with the same period last year and was 16% lower than the three-year average.
According to the report, the price of a one-year-old female sheep in Afghanistan rose by 6% ahead of Eid al-Adha due to increased demand.
The World Food Programme said market supply conditions remain generally stable, but transport costs, regional trade uncertainties and Afghanistan’s heavy dependence on imports pose risks to market stability and contribute to localised price fluctuations.
In the food sector, national average prices have largely remained stable, with slight weekly declines recorded for key commodities. However, compared with last year, wheat prices have risen by 14%, flour by between 9% and 12%, rice by up to 38%, cooking oil by 4%, sugar by 25% and salt by 10%.
The report stressed that the annual increase in prices reflects sharp rises between October 2025 and March 2026 following the closure of the border with Pakistan and the rerouting of trade through Iran and Central Asia.
The report comes as millions of people in Afghanistan continue to face economic hardship, unemployment and rising living costs, placing further pressure on vulnerable families.