Taliban forcibly disperse “Women for Justice” demonstration in Kabul

Demonstrators gathered to protest the death of young Zainab Abdulahi, who was shot dead by the Taliban as she returned from a wedding, and demanded the release of Alia Azizi, director of Herat’s women’s prison and allegedly detained by the movement, which has denied all responsibility. Azizi, her relatives denounce, disappeared in October 2020 and since then they have not heard from her. According to statements by the organizers to the hasht e Subh newspaper, the Taliban disrupted the demonstration using tasers and pepper spraying the demonstrators when they were in the vicinity of Kabul University. As we approached Kabul University, three Taliban vehicles came and fired tear gas at us,” according to one protester, who did not want to be identified. The women emphasize that the Taliban confiscated the phone of a woman who wanted to record the incident, and that she was also assaulted. The Islamist group has banned unauthorized protests and frequently intervenes to forcibly break up demonstrations demanding women’s rights. Taliban authorities have prevented female public sector employees from returning to work, many secondary schools have not yet reopened for girls, and public universities are closed. They have also banned long-distance travel for women who are not accompanied by a close male relative.

Original source in Spanish