France Condemns Taliban's Decision to Resume Stoning and Physical Punishment of Women

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the recent decision by the Taliban to resume actions such as stoning women and imposing physical punishment against them. In a statement released on Friday, April 6, it stated: "This horrific decision follows many instances of violations of fundamental rights and freedoms by the Taliban against women in Afghanistan since they forcibly took power in the summer of 2021." The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the Taliban to end the "policy of repression against women and girls" in Afghanistan. The statement noted that, with France's active participation, the United Nations Security Council has declared that respect for women's rights is a prerequisite for any dialogue. In this context, Radio Free Europe reported that a recent audio clip attributed to Mullah Hibatullah, the Taliban leader, which was broadcast by the state-controlled television, warned about stoning and punishing girls and women in public. According to the report, after widespread criticism, the Taliban-controlled national television removed the audio clip. Since their return to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban has imposed severe restrictions on women and girls, drawing widespread criticism from the international community. The situation of human rights in Afghanistan under Taliban control was reviewed at a conference in Doha; Hamid Sabouri explained that the campaign "Alliance Against Sexual Apartheid" classifies the Islamic Republic and the Taliban as a gender apartheid regime. Most members of the Security Council have called for the cancellation of the Taliban's "oppressive policies" against women in Afghanistan. The Taliban-affiliated news agency claimed that girls can continue their studies in medical universities.