KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban intelligence forces have arrested Wazir Khan, an education activist who provided free schooling to girls and children in remote areas of Kabul and several provinces, sources told Amu on Tuesday. His whereabouts remain unknown.
The arrest has sparked strong condemnation from human rights activists and advocates for freedom of expression, who have called it arbitrary and unlawful.
“This is a blatant violation of fundamental human rights and a clear attempt to silence independent and pro-freedom voices in Afghanistan,” activists said in a statement.
According to reports, Taliban intelligence forces told Khan’s family that he would be transferred to Bagrami district in Kabul. However, when relatives inquired at local authorities, they were told he was not being held there, raising fears that he had been taken to an undisclosed location.
Human rights groups have labeled his enforced disappearance a crime against humanity and have urged the Taliban to take responsibility for his detention.
Journalists and rights activists warn that the abduction, torture, and suppression of activists will not silence dissent but will instead fuel public outrage and resistance.
They have called on international organizations and human rights bodies to exert pressure on the Taliban for Khan’s immediate release and to raise the issue in global forums.
“The Taliban must heed both domestic and international pressure and release Wazir Khan immediately,” activists said.
