KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban forces detained three women and their brother in Kabul, escalating concerns among human rights advocates.
Tamana Rezai, a women’s rights activist, reported that her siblings were apprehended from their residence in the Dasht-e Barchi neighborhood on Wednesday evening. Rezai, previously detained by the Taliban for 29 days, identified the detainees as her sisters, Azada, 25; Nadia, 17; Elaha, 14; and their 22-year-old brother.
They are known members of “Junbish-e Adalat Khwah,” a local advocacy group.Efforts by the family to obtain information from Kabul’s 13th and 18th police district offices have been futile.
“We’re in the dark about their current state and the accusations against them,” Tamana Rezai lamented.
The siblings had arranged to leave Afghanistan, securing visas for travel to a neighboring country, a plan now thwarted by their detention.
Human rights organizations have called for the immediate release of the Rezai siblings, pointing to a troubling trend of arbitrary detentions by the Taliban.”
The pattern of detaining protesters, subjecting them to abuse, and then releasing them after hefty ransoms is alarming,” stated Nargas Sadat, another women’s rights advocate.
This wave of detentions coincides with the arrest of Homayoun Afghan, a prominent Afghan YouTuber and journalist, further stoking fears over shrinking freedoms.
Khalid Zadran, a Taliban security spokesperson, confirmed Afghan’s detention on charges stemming from a complaint over a broadcast interview deemed a privacy violation.
Residents of Kabul have rallied for Afghan’s release, recognizing his contributions to Afghan society through journalism and social media.
Despite laws protecting journalists from detention over work-related charges, Afghan’s case is being processed by the media violation commission.
Afghan has remained in Kabul post-Taliban takeover, documenting life in Afghanistan and interviewing Taliban members, aiming to portray a sense of normalcy.Manizha Sediqi, another women’s rights activist, has been in Taliban custody for over 174 days, underscoring a continuous crackdown on dissent and activism.
This string of detentions signals a concerning trend toward suppressing voices of opposition and activism within Afghanistan, raising alarms among international human rights groups and Afghan citizens alike.
