Four missing Afghan women activists released by ‘de facto authorities’: UN

Four missing women activists in Afghanistan have been released by the ‘de facto authorities’, the United Nations informed Sunday.

“After a long period of uncertainty about their whereabouts and safety, the four ‘disappeared’ Afghan women activists, as well as their relatives who also went missing, have all been released by the de facto authorities,” the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Twitter.

Also Read: Taliban arrests another woman’s rights activist in Afghanistan

The women, namely Tamana Zaryabi Paryani, Parwana Ibrahimkhel, Zahra Mohammadi and Mursal Ayar had gone missing weeks ago after participating in an anti-Taliban rally in Kabul for women’s right to work and education, according to an AFP report. The hardline group, however, has denied detaining them.

Also Read: Afghan Taliban say explosion near mosque kills 1, wounds 7

Notably, several activists, journalists, and critics have been arrested and detained in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control in August last year. 

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had earlier told AFP that the authorities had the right “to arrest and detain dissidents or those who break the law”.

Meanwhile, the UK authorities informed Saturday that an unspecified number of British citizens had been detained in Afghanistan in separate incidents the past few months.

Also Read: Joe Biden splits frozen Afghan funds for 9/11 victims, relief

In a statement to news agency AFP, the country’s foreign ministry had said, “We are providing support to the families of a number of British men who have been detained in Afghanistan.”

“UK officials have raised their detention with the Taliban at every opportunity, including when a delegation travelled to Kabul this week,” it added.

The exact number still remains unclear. According to a CNN report, it is estimated that at least seven British and one American were arrested by the Taliban recently.

Also Read: Several British citizens detained in Afghanistan, says UK government

The UK government’s statement came a day after two foreign journalists were released by the Taliban. 

A February 11 tweet by former vice president of Afghanistan, Amrullah Saleh stated that “nine citizens of Western countries have been kidnapped, amongst them Andrew North of BBC & Peter Juvenal, owner of Gandomak Restaurant”.

Both North and Jouvenal are British citizens who have worked for the BBC. The former, in fact, was in Afghanistan for an assignment for the UN refugee agency in the country. He is one of the two journalists who were released last week.