Afghanistan: Concerns grow over detentions of women, civil society activists under Taliban regime

Kabul [Afghanistan], November 18 : Amnesty International has strongly condemned the continued detention of women's rights activists in Afghanistan, emphasizing that restrictions against girls and women can escalate into "sexual harassment and crimes against humanity", Khaama Press reported.
Several women's rights advocates also expressed deep concern over the efforts by the Taliban administration to marginalize women in the country.
Earlier on Friday, Amnesty International expressed deep concern in response to the detention of Parisa Azadeh, a women's rights activist. They stated that they are "extremely" worried about the detained women, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
Parisa Azadeh is the fourth woman whom the Taliban regime has recently detained. Sources report that she was arrested on Tuesday while printing protest banners in western Kabul, Khaama Press reported.
The human rights organisation further added that the continued severe restrictions by the Taliban and the unlawful suppression of Afghan girls and women could lead to "crimes against humanity and sexual harassment".
On the other hand, Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan's representative at the United Nations, has deemed the detention of Parisa Azadeh contrary to Islamic and international laws.
Meanwhile, women's rights activists claim that the Taliban administration has consistently suppressed women's protests over the past two years to instil fear and push women to the "complete" margins.
Maryam Arvin Maroof, a women's rights activist, told Khaama Press, "Although human rights organizations at the United Nations have options to pressure the Taliban regime, these organizations have only issued statements regarding the violation of women's rights over the past two years."
Samia Haqju, another women's rights activist, said that the interim government is concerned about the expansion of women's protests and, as a result, is resorting to detaining protesting women.
According to Khaama Press, it has been over a month since Nida Parwani, Julia Parsi, and Manizha Seddiqi, women's rights activists, have been detained along with their family members under the Taliban government's control.
In the past two years, the Taliban administration has issued more than 50 restrictive orders on the lives of Afghan women and girls, which human rights activists see as a manifestation of gender apartheid in Afghanistan.