Afghanistan Times
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AT Kabul: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has voiced concerns about the current situation of women activists in Afghanistan, emphasizing that arrests, threats, and suppression of women continue. HRW specifically highlighted the arbitrary detention of female protesters, naming activists such as Julia Parsi, Manijeh Sediqi, Neda Parwani, and Parisa Azada in their report.
In a statement, HRW urged people to remember the names of these detained activists and emphasized that there are many more whose arrests remain undisclosed due to families fearing reprisals. The report noted ongoing arrests and expressed concern over the suppression of women’s voices and rights.
The Islamic Emirate responded to these concerns, stating that some women have been arrested to prevent the implementation of foreign programs and to maintain public security. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, clarified, “Seizure does not mean that we silence someone’s voice or that someone is oppressed; it is for the sake of maintaining public security and preventing external conspiracies from happening in Afghanistan.”
Women’s rights activists are calling for the release of the detained women, asserting that their goals were centered on raising the voices of Afghan women globally. Hwaida Hadis, a women’s rights activist, stated, “The goal of women’s rights activists and those who took to the streets was to be able to hear the voices of Afghan women for the world.”
According to Sonam Latif, another women’s rights activist, the arrested women did not engage in anti-government or security activities; rather, they advocated for Afghan women’s right to education and work. Since the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate, women in Afghanistan have taken to the streets, protesting and demanding their rights.
