Today, August 15, marks the anniversary of a national tragedy—a day when, with the collapse of the republican system and the fall of the people’s will, Afghanistan once again plunged into the darkness of backwardness and tyranny. On this day, the oppressive Taliban group, without any popular or political legitimacy, seized control of our capital with foreign backing and the treacherous silence of certain internal circles, diverting the nation from the path of democracy, progress, and human rights.
The National Assembly for the Salvation of Afghanistan and the High Council of National Resistance for the Salvation of Afghanistan, while honoring the memory of the martyrs of freedom and resistance and emphasizing the people’s right to determine their own destiny, recall this day not merely as a political event, but as a human and historical tragedy whose consequences continue to affect the lives of millions of Afghan citizens—especially women, children, and ethnic and religious minorities.
We declare before the international community, the United Nations, neighboring countries, and all entities claiming to support human rights and justice:
1- The Taliban regime does not represent the people of Afghanistan. This group has no political, moral, or legal legitimacy, and the efforts of some countries to ignore Afghanistan’s on-the-ground and humanitarian realities are deeply concerning and unacceptable.
2- The oppressive Taliban group, by exploiting religion as a tool for their sinister goals, has not only betrayed the principles and values of religion but has also harmed the community of believers. In modern history, no anti-religion group has been able to create such a hateful image of religion and religious scholars in the public mind as this religion-hostile group has done through its violent actions and extremist interpretations.
3- Women’s rights, civil liberties, and minority rights are our red lines. Through their misogynistic, ethnocentric, and repressive policies, the Taliban have not only targeted the foundations of society but have also committed documented crimes against humanity.
4- We call for a genuine and transparent political process led by the Afghan people. Without meaningful participation from popular forces, political elites, youth, women, and true representatives of all ethnic groups, no legitimate and sustainable solution for Afghanistan’s future is possible.
5- We loudly proclaim that the struggle for freedom, justice, democracy, and equal rights continues. Our people have never accepted and will never accept the domination of force, ignorance, and prejudice.
6- The leaders and senior officials of the oppressive Taliban group, due to committing widespread crimes, blatant human rights violations, and arbitrary detentions, are condemned and must be held accountable before justice. All contracts, decrees, and decisions of this group lack any legal and political validity and are not binding at the national or international level. The Taliban is a project imposed and designed by foreigners upon the Afghan people—a project that now stands on the brink of defeat and collapse.
7- Recognition of the oppressive Taliban group by Moscow is a blatant repetition of the former Soviet Union’s historical mistake in Afghanistan—an act that not only seriously threatens Afghanistan’s internal peace and stability but also poses a grave danger to the security of neighboring countries, the region, and the world, as the Taliban is a terrorist group with a long record of violence and extremism.
8- Given the absence of a legitimate government in Afghanistan, safe conditions for the return of refugees do not exist, and the lives of former security force members and past government officials are in serious danger. Reports show that some returned military personnel among the refugees have been targeted and killed. Neighboring countries are expected to provide political, humanitarian, and security support to help the Afghan people escape this situation and to refrain from granting legitimacy to the oppressive Taliban group.
In conclusion, in these critical circumstances, the “National Assembly for the Salvation of Afghanistan,” as the largest political umbrella opposing the Taliban, is firmly committed to working for the country’s liberation from this devastating tragedy and returning it to the path of peace, justice, and development. Therefore, we call on all political and civil forces, migrants, and free citizens inside and outside the country to strengthen unity and solidarity, and to stand in united ranks for the salvation of the homeland, the establishment of justice, and the restoration of human dignity in Afghanistan.
Long live a free, united Afghanistan based on public participation, long live the national and civil resistance of the Afghan people