UN rights expert urges Taliban to free Afghan educational activist

A United Nations human rights expert has once again urged the Taliban authorities to release an Afghan educational activist who was campaigning for the reopening of girls’ schools.

“The continued detention for at least 114 days without charge of Matiullah Wesa, founder of Pen Path, is arbitrary and unjustified,” Richard Bennett said.

Bennet is the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, as tweeted late on Tuesday.

Pen Path said in a recent statement that the organisation was concerned by the prolonged detention of its founder and that there was no clarity about his case.

The organisation further claimed that the activist’s basic rights had been trampled on, as he had not been given the opportunity to legally defend himself after being detained in Kabul by the Taliban around four months ago.

“He has the right to access a lawyer and be visited by his family, and I again call for his immediate and unconditional release,’’ the UN expert said.

The Taliban detained Wesa over allegedly suspicious activities.

The activist was campaigning for the reopening of girls’ schools, especially in remote parts of the country.

Since returning to power in mid-2021, the Taliban have reimposed strict laws and regulations, including banning girls and women from accessing school classes beyond grade six.

Schools have been closed to them for almost two years now.

Those who dared to criticise the decision had been arrested.