Strasbourg, 7 October 2025
Member of the European Parliament and member of the committee on foreign affairs (AFET) of the European Parliament, Željana Zovko, made a speech today at the plenary session in Strasbourg about the situation in Afghanistan and the support to women and communities affected by the recent earthquakes.
Zovko condemned the deprivation of medical care for women after the recent earthquake due to a lack of female doctors. She also denounced the prohibition for women to raise their voice in public, highlighting that the Taliban authorities relentlessly invade every remaining inch of freedom for girls and women.
In her address, she also mentioned the recent internet blackout in Afghanistan, describing it as part of an offensive against “immoral practices” and a mere symptom of the growing repression of the authorities to isolate even further the population and Afghan women.
Zovko stressed that the EU must act urgently to intensify pressure on the Taliban, through increased sanctions against those responsible for human rights violations.
“The EU must do everything it can to ensure that Afghan women can study, work, sing again and move freely without a male guardian. It is a matter of defending fundamental human rights that the EU must uphold with vigour”.