Nasir Ahmad Faiq, the Chargé d’Affaires of Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, has strongly condemned the detention of Khadija Ahmadzadeh, Nazera Rashidi, and their companions by the caretaker government, and has called for their immediate and unconditional release.
In a post on his X account, Mr. Faiq wrote that the arrest of these women in the absence of a judicial system constitutes a serious violation of their rights.
The head of Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations further emphasized that the detention of women without evidence or a court order is in contradiction with humanitarian laws, Islamic principles, and the cultural values of the people of Afghanistan.
He added that women and girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of many of their fundamental and religious rights, including access to justice, legal counsel, and fair legal procedures.
The arrest of women’s rights activists and the increasing restrictions on women’s social and civic participation in Afghanistan continue, while international concerns over their situation are growing.
This comes as Nazera Rashidi, a local female journalist in Kunduz, was arrested two weeks ago on Tuesday (16 Jadi) after leaving her home.
Meanwhile, Khadija Ahmadzadeh, a member of Afghanistan’s national taekwondo team and a coach in the sport, was arrested last Saturday (January 10) from a secret sports club in the Jebrail township of Herat by forces of the current government’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
In addition to this female coach, her father and the man who had made his house available as a secret women’s sports club were also arrested with her and released after several days, but Ahmadzadeh remains in detention.
The arrest of this female journalist and women’s coach has sparked widespread reactions on social media.
