Open Statement on the Status of the Afghan Embassy in the Netherlands
A Legal–Political Appeal by Afghan Civil Society, Protest Movements, and Human Rights Defenders
Introduction
We, a collective of Afghan civil society institutions, women’s protest movements, human rights organizations, and independent activists, issue this urgent legal–political statement regarding the continued operation of the Afghan Embassy in the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the management of Mr. Asif Rahimi.
Credible evidence suggests that Mr. Rahimi has pledged allegiance to the Taliban, thereby compromising the neutrality, legitimacy, and integrity of Afghan diplomatic representation in Europe.
Diplomatic Recognition and International Legal Obligations
Under international law, host governments bear a responsibility not to legitimize regimes that engage in systematic human rights violations, lack democratic legitimacy, and operate in violation of international norms. Tolerating or facilitating diplomatic representation aligned with such a regime contradicts the Netherlands’ obligations under:
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961)
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
UN Human Rights Council resolutions and reports on the situation in Afghanistan
It is imperative that Dutch diplomatic policies reflect these commitments and do not inadvertently normalize or legitimize actors complicit in crimes against humanity, including gender apartheid.
The Case Against Mr. Asif Rahimi
According to public and institutional reports, Mr. Rahimi has abandoned the principle of diplomatic neutrality. His continued use of the Afghan Embassy in The Hague to represent the Taliban’s position—without public accountability, legal clarity, or democratic legitimacy—raises serious concerns.
This is happening while the Taliban regime:
Systematically excludes women from education, employment, and public life
Criminalizes civil activism and protest
Imprisons, tortures, or exiles dissidents
Enforces gender apartheid and ethnic persecution
It is unacceptable that any representative acting in the name of Afghanistan abroad should echo or support a regime that represses its people, especially its women, so violently.
Our Formal Requests to the Government of the Netherlands
We call on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and relevant Dutch institutions to:
Publicly clarify the legal and political status of the Afghan Embassy in The Hague, including any formal or informal links to the Taliban regime.
Immediately inspect the financial operations, institutional affiliations, and diplomatic activities of the Embassy to ensure compliance with Dutch and international law.
Suspend diplomatic privileges if political allegiance or support for the Taliban is confirmed. The Embassy must not serve as a platform for normalizing or supporting a regime that is under investigation for crimes against humanity.
Establish formal lines of communication with independent Afghan civil society organizations, women-led protest networks, and the victims of Taliban repression to ensure authentic representation of the Afghan people’s voice.
The Broader Implications
Ignoring the gradual normalization of the Taliban regime undermines justice and weakens the Netherlands’ moral credibility as a state committed to international law and human rights. Such normalization threatens the voices of the Afghan women’s resistance, many of whom risk their lives every day for the simple right to learn, work, and speak freely.
This is not merely a legal matter—it is a moral test.
Conclusion
Afghan women’s protest movements, civil organizations, and resistance networks are among the clearest and most resilient forces advocating for freedom, justice, and democratic accountability in our region.
To ignore these voices is to ignore the truth.
To grant legitimacy to the Taliban through silence, neutrality, or diplomatic tolerance is to undermine the struggle for justice itself.
We urge the Government of the Netherlands to act with courage, clarity, and consistency—by standing with the people of Afghanistan, not their oppressors.
Signed by:
Representatives of Afghan civil society institutions, women’s protest movements, human rights defenders, and legal networks in exile.
