By: Rukhshana Media
An Afghan women’s rights activist has been detained in Kabul without any information on her whereabouts from Taliban authorities, as another woman was detained and beaten in northern Takhar province for calling for women’s rights.
Nargis Sadat was arrested while travelling in Pul-e-Surkh area of west Kabul on Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Sadat’s relatives told Rukhshana Media that she was not in good health and she had gone to the hospital for treatment. While on her way from the hospital to her sister’s house, she was detained at a checkpoint by Taliban forces in Kabul city’s district three.
The Taliban took Mrs. Sadat’s phone and went through it, then detained her on the grounds that it contained videos and photos of women protesting. Her family have not been allowed any information of her whereabouts.
“After her husband heard the news of her arrest, he went to the local police district. Narges’ phone was in the hands of the police chief there and he told Narges’ husband that she was a leader of the women’s protests so the police called the intelligence department to come and investigate her,” a source close to the family said.
Her husband was not even allowed to see her and make sure of her health condition, a family member told Rukhshana Media, adding that the Sadat’s have a 10-year-old son who was not coping well mentally.
Mrs Sadat’s arrest happened the same day that a young woman, Parisa Mubariz, and her brother were detained and beaten by Taliban forces in Takhar province.
Taliban forces went to the Mubariz family home in Taleqan city around 8:00am on Sunday as the family were having breakfast, a source close to the family said.
“Her brother went to see who it was. As soon as he opened the gate, they first arrested him. Then two Taliban policewomen entered the house without permission and took Parisa away with them. They did not even give her a chance to wear her hijab,” the source said.
Parisa’s mother ran to get her daughter a hijab and begged the Taliban forces not to take her children. One of the male Talibs entered the house and took Parisa’s phone, the source said.
“The Taliban just came and took Parisa and her 19-year-old brother with them without explaining the reason,” the source added.
The pair were released about seven hours later through the mediation of their elders and relatives.
The source said that after the arrest, their mother fainted and she was transferred to Mellat Hospital in the center of Taleqan city. She has since returned home. Parisa’s father, 68, works in Iran to provide an income for his family.
A family member said Parisa has been severely beaten for refusing to provide the password to unlock her phone and allow the Taliban to look through it. They added that the Taliban did not have any document indicating Parisa had participated in protests.
In a picture seen by Rukhshana Media of Parisa after her release, her head is covered with a white cloth and a cannula needle is attached to her left hand.
The Taliban made Parisa promise to refrain from any protests against them and any women’s activities that lead to opposition to their regime, according to the source.
One of Parisa’s colleagues also said that the Taliban released Parisa from prison on the condition that she does not carry out protest activities against the Taliban.
In response to the arrests, a number of women have uploaded videos of themselves protesting from home demanding the release of these women and further demanding the restoration of women’s rights in Afghanistan.
