Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle, chair of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Afghanistan, criticised the possibility of inviting Taliban representatives to Brussels.
She described the group’s policies towards women as gender apartheid and a crime against humanity.
She said Taliban members should face arrest and be transferred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague rather than being welcomed in the European Union.
Speaking to Afghanistan International, Hermida-van der Walle stressed that the European Union does not recognise the Taliban as a legitimate government and that there is currently no basis for formal engagement with the group.
She said the EU applies five fundamental criteria in its relations with countries, none of which, in her view, are being met in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. She also expressed concern over contacts between some EU member states and the Taliban, arguing that a distinction should be made between official EU policy and the independent approaches of individual governments.
In recent months, Germany has received Taliban representatives in Berlin and Bonn and has cooperated with the group on the deportation of Afghan migrants. Norway has also previously hosted Taliban delegations in Oslo.
Warning Against Taliban Normalisation
The Spanish-Dutch politician described the prospect of inviting Taliban representatives to Brussels as very dangerous.
She argued that such an invitation would send a message that the group’s actions are acceptable and would amount to normalising the Taliban, a move she said the European Parliament would oppose.
Hermida-van der Walle also rejected the European Commission’s argument that dialogue with the Taliban is necessary to discuss the deportation of Afghan migrants. She said it was unreasonable to negotiate with a group that she described as one of the main drivers of large-scale migration from Afghanistan.
Call for Legal Action Against Taliban Leaders
Hermida-van der Walle described Taliban policies towards women and girls as a clear example of gender apartheid and said efforts are underway to secure international recognition of the concept as a crime against humanity.
She argued that recognising gender apartheid as an international crime could help restrict the travel of Taliban officials and support the issuance of additional international arrest warrants against the group’s leaders.
The chair of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Afghanistan added that EU member states should arrest Taliban members if they enter European territory and transfer them to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
She concluded by calling for stronger international pressure and sanctions on the Taliban, saying the international community must intensify efforts to bring an end to the current situation in Afghanistan.
