A prominent rights organisation has raised the alarm over what it calls a dangerous campaign by Taliban sympathisers to infiltrate European societies and manipulate public opinion through covert lobbying, propaganda, and misinformation.
The Human Rights Activists Union (HRAU) warned on Tuesday that individuals acting under the guise of journalists, analysts, and civil society figures are working in close coordination with Taliban officials to promote the extremist regime’s narrative and undermine international understanding of its brutal human rights record.
“These are not independent voices—they are Taliban lobbyists operating freely in the West to whitewash a regime built on terror, misogyny, and ethnic supremacy,” the HRAU stated. “They travel to Kabul, attend official ceremonies, glorify suicide bombers, and return to Europe to spread polished lies under the protection of democratic freedoms.”
HRAU’s statement comes amid disturbing reports of the Taliban quietly taking control of several Afghan diplomatic missions across Europe. According to the group, this marks a “new phase of targeted and organised movements abroad” aimed at giving the Taliban international legitimacy while continuing their domestic repression.
The organisation issued a direct appeal to European governments—especially the German federal government—to thoroughly reassess the immigration files of individuals suspected of collaborating with the Taliban. “There is an urgent need to enforce legal restrictions to prevent the abuse of European soil for the promotion of extremism,” HRAU said.
It also condemned the Taliban’s calculated strategy of using foreign influencers, including YouTubers and adult film stars, to project a sanitised image of Afghanistan. These social media personalities, often women, post curated content from scenic Afghan locations, portraying the country as peaceful and welcoming—while Afghan women remain barred from schools, parks, and basic freedoms.
“This propaganda is a cruel insult to millions of Afghan women and girls who are being erased from public life under Taliban rule,” the statement added.
HRAU urged international human rights institutions, independent journalists, and Western governments not to fall for the Taliban’s soft-power tactics, and to act decisively against those complicit in spreading its extremist agenda.
