Amnesty calls for immediate release of two Afghan activists
Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of two Afghan educational activists who were arrested by the Taliban security forces in mid-October in Kabul.
In a statement released late on Friday, the organization claimed that Ahmad Fahim Azimi and Seddiqullah Afghan, two activists working with the education organization Fekre Behtar, had been arbitrarily arrested.
“They are accused of working against the Taliban de-facto authorities,” Amnesty said, adding that the arrest was against international human rights law.
Since returning to power, the Taliban government has curtailed human rights in Afghanistan. For example, girls and women are not allowed to study beyond primary school. Taliban forces have suppressed any dissent.
However, in some parts of the country, women and girls still attend religious schools, as well as midwifery schools.
The ban on education is seen as the biggest obstacle to the Taliban government being recognized internationally.
