MONITORING (SW) – A number of women’s rights activists representing Afghan women at the Oslo meeting called for the return to democracy and a comprehensive political process in the country.
Shahgul Rezaei, a women’s rights activist and a member of the Oslo meeting, wrote on Twitter that in addition to general talk, there were also talks on a common vision for democratic values with the special representatives of the international community and the Islamic Emirate officials.
He stressed that the world must support a comprehensive political process in Afghanistan and work with the Afghan people to implement it. According to her, there are still opportunities to pave the way for democracy and establish a government based on the will of the people.
In a statement issued in connection with the Oslo meeting, Shahgul Rezaei called girls ‘education, civil liberties and citizens’ right to self-determination as basic human right, which she stressed should not be denied to the Afghan people. She stressed that the world should exert necessary pressure on the Islamic Emirate to support the people of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Mahbooba Siraj, another female representative at the Oslo meeting, told the media that the Islamic Emirate delegation had listened to them, but so far no commitment has been made to make their demands a reality.
She added that if the commitments of the Islamic Emirate are different in word and deed, they will lose public trust and will not have a place among the people. She stressed the confirmation of the detention of women protesters by the Islamic Emirate and said that if this issue is denied, it would be considered a war crime.
The release of the protesting girls in captivity was also the first demand of Huda Khamoush, the representative of the protesting women at the Oslo meeting. Prior to her statement at the meeting, he reportedly asked the acting head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate to contact officials in Kabul and demand the immediate release of the three abducted women.
The reopening of girls’ schools, the provision of equal rights for women in society, the establishment of a competent and independent council to oversee the actions and policies of the Islamic Emirate, and the establishment of a legitimate system based on the will of the people have been other demands raised at the meeting in the Norwegian capital.
The Norwegian-hosted Oslo meeting began on Sunday with the participation of the delegation of the Islamic Emirate and a number of Afghan political figures and civil activists, with special representatives from the United States, Britain, France, Italy and the European Union. Talks between the delegation of the Islamic Emirate and the representatives of the countries continued on Monday.
This meeting was held behind closed doors and without the presence of the media.
Ensuring human rights and addressing the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is one of the demands of the international community at this meeting. But, the Islamic Emirate officials emphasized upon economic issues and the release of frozen assets by the United States.
Meanwhile, the invitation of the delegation of the Islamic Emirate to the Oslo meeting has provoked protests in Norway and some other European countries. Protesters believed that inviting the Islamic Emirate to such meetings would legitimize their rule, but Norwegian officials emphasized that the meeting was aimed at resolving the Afghan crisis and did not mean recognizing the Islamic Emirate.
ENDS
