Women’s rights protestor Parisa Azada has been released from Taliban detention after more than a month in prison.
Ms Azada was imprisoned by the Taliban in October after publicly calling for women’s rights in Afghanistan. She was a member of the Afghan Women for Justice and Freedom protest movement and was in Taliban custody for 41 days, according to the movement’s chief Shamayil Tawana Naseri.
Ms Azada was arrested by Taliban forces from the Dasht-e-Barchi area of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on October 15 while printing a protest banner at a public printing shop.
It’s unclear how Ms Azada’s release was secured.
Other women detained by the Taliban for protesting for their rights have been released after making a forced commitment not to continue to protest or sometimes with a guarantee that binds family to their commitment.
It’s only weeks since the Taliban freed other high profile protestors.
Women’s rights activist Neda Parvani and her husband, and women’s rights activist Julia Parsi and her eldest son, have recently been released after months in Taliban detention.
However, other protesting women are still in prison without trial or charge, including Manizha Seddiqi.
Mrs Seddiqi was arrested from Kabul’s Kart-e-Naw area on October 9.
There has been no update on her current condition and there are grave fears for her safety.
An audio message attributed to Manizha’s mother was previously sent to media. In it she said that Manizha’s health was not good and that she had been transferred to Kabul’s notorious Pol-e-Charkhi prison.
Many women released from Taliban custody show demonstrable signs of physical torture and psychological abuse.
Rukhshana Media has attempted multiple times to contact Ms Azada’s family, without response.
