Russia has become the first country in the world to recognize the Taliban government. The Taliban have been back in power in Afghanistan since 2021. They are increasingly restricting women’s rights in the country.
Russia has accepted the credentials of a new ambassador from Afghanistan, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday.
“We are convinced that the official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields,” the ministry writes.
The Taliban came back to power in August 2021 after US and NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan. The country has deteriorated further since then, especially regarding the position of women. For example, girls are no longer allowed to go to school after the age of twelve, employment for women is very limited and their access to parks and other public places has also been removed.
At the end of last year, a law also came into effect that prohibits women from practicing sports, singing or quoting poetry in public. Women are “encouraged” to “cover” their voices and bodies when they are outdoors. Due to the new law, some TV and radio stations have stopped broadcasting women’s voices.