Amnesty International praised the release of education activist Seddiqullah Afghan on Tuesday, labeling it a “positive development” but emphasized that Afghan should not have been imprisoned to begin with.
The human rights organization reiterated its call for the “immediate and unconditional release” of Ahmad Fahim Azimi and all other individuals arbitrarily detained for advocating education, human rights, and justice.
According to Amnesty International, on Oct. 17, 2023, Ahmad Fahim Azimi and Seddiqullah Afghan, both associated with the education group Fekre Behtar, were arbitrarily arrested at their office in Karta Char, Kabul, by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) District 40, accused of opposing the Taliban’s de facto authorities.
After 72 days of interrogation by the GDI District 40, they were tried on Dec. 27, 2023, and subsequently incarcerated in Pul-e-Charkhi prison. The organization asserts that their arrest and detention violate international human rights law.
