The Taliban on Friday commemorated the fourth anniversary of their return to power, supported by Russia’s recent decision to become the first nation to officially recognise their administration.
Celebrations were held across Afghanistan, with parades planned in multiple cities, including Kabul, where helicopters were set to drop flowers and the white-and-black flags of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” were flown to mark the fall of the capital on August 15, 2021.
On Thursday night, Taliban supporters assembled at a square near the closed US embassy, once the hub of their fiercest opposition during the two-decade insurgency, waving flags and lighting fireworks, according to an AFP reporter.
The Taliban’s government remains diplomatically isolated, largely due to restrictions imposed under its strict interpretation of Islamic law, especially those affecting women.
The International Criminal Court in July issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban figures, accusing them of crimes against humanity for their role in the persecution of women and girls, who remain barred from most work, education and public spaces without a male guardian.
Despite this, Kabul has cultivated close relations though without formal recognition with several countries, including Central Asian nations, China, and the United Arab Emirates.
Officials have also held talks in the Afghan capital with delegations from Norway, Britain, and the United States.
Independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday urged the international community to resist legitimising the Taliban authorities and to reject their style of governance.
“Operating without legitimacy, the Taliban enforces an institutionalised system of gender oppression, crushes dissent, exacts reprisals, and muzzles independent media while showing outright contempt for human rights, equality and non-discrimination,” the experts said in a statement.