Two women have been killed and several others wounded during a rare public protest in Kabul, Afghanistan, as demonstrators demanded equal rights and access to education under the Taliban regime. The British Government has swiftly condemned the violence, calling it a 'brutal suppression of fundamental human rights'.
The protest, organised by the 'Afghan Women's Movement for Justice', saw dozens of women gather in the city centre, defying the Taliban's restrictions on public gatherings and female participation in public life. Witnesses report that Taliban security forces opened fire on the crowd after warnings to disperse were ignored.
Social media footage shows chaotic scenes of women running for cover, with gunshots ringing out. The Taliban have claimed that they acted to maintain public order, but international observers have decried the incident as a 'clear violation of international law'.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called for an independent investigation and urged the Taliban to respect the right to peaceful assembly. The British Foreign Secretary, in a statement, said: 'The UK condemns in the strongest terms the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters. The Taliban's treatment of women and girls is a stain on humanity. We will hold them to account.'
The incident underscores the deteriorating security and human rights situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Despite initial promises of a more moderate rule, the regime has systematically dismantled women's rights, banning secondary education for girls and restricting female employment.
The British Government has announced it will raise the issue at the upcoming UN Security Council meeting, pushing for sanctions against Taliban leaders responsible for human rights abuses. Meanwhile, the Afghan diaspora in the UK has held vigils in London, Birmingham, and Manchester, demanding immediate action.
This story is developing. More updates will follow as we receive them.
