UN Experts Demand Immediate Release of Afghan Women Human Rights Defenders from Taliban Custody

Women's Spontaneous Movement activists, Neda Parwan and Zholia Parsi, along with their families detained for over a month without charges or legal representation.

• Neda Parwan and Zholia Parsi, members of the Women's Spontaneous Movement and human rights defenders, have been detained by Afghanistan's Taliban regime since September. They have not been charged with a crime or provided legal representation.
• The United Nations has demanded the immediate release of Parwan and Parsi, stating that their arrest was 'unjustified' and a violation of their fundamental right to engage in peaceful protests.
• Parwan's husband and Parsi's adult son are also under arrest. The UN is concerned about their physical and mental wellbeing after more than a month in detention.
• Besides Parwan and Parsi, women's education campaigners Mortaza Behboudi and Matiullah Wesa were also arrested for advocating for girls' rights to attend school. They have been released after being detained for more than 7 and 9 months, respectively.
• The Taliban is judged to be intensifying restrictions on civic space and particularly targeting women and girls, which is leading to a 'chilling effect'. The UN experts urged respect for freedoms of expression, movement, and association as well as the right to peaceful protest, in alignment with Afghanistan's international obligations under human rights agreements.

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