UN Special Rapporteur Calls for Immediate Release of Detained Afghan Journalist and Sports Coach

Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, has issued a call for the immediate release of two women detained in separate incidents. In a statement posted on X on Saturday, Bennett expressed deep concern regarding the arrest of a female journalist in Kunduz and a female taekwondo coach in Herat, urging the Taliban to ensure their safety.

Local sources reported that Nazera Rashidi, a journalist based in Kunduz, was detained on January 10 by intelligence forces. Authorities later confirmed her arrest, alleging that she and four other women were being held in connection with a criminal case. In a separate incident in western Afghanistan, Khadija Ahmadzada, a women’s taekwondo coach in Herat’s Jebrail district, was detained last week. Reports indicate she was taken into custody by officials enforcing moral conduct regulations.

A Broader Pattern of Repression

Bennett highlighted that these detentions reflect a broader pattern of intimidation and repression targeting women professionals, journalists, and civil society figures across the country. International rights groups have noted that such arrests are frequently carried out without due process, leaving families uninformed about the whereabouts of their loved ones and detainees without access to legal representation.

These incidents occur amidst mounting restrictions on women’s participation in public life in Afghanistan, including comprehensive bans on education, employment, and sports. The United Nations and various foreign governments have repeatedly warned that continued rights violations risk further isolating Afghanistan diplomatically and worsening the country’s severe humanitarian and economic crises.