Eight UN Experts Demand Taliban to Release Women Activists

United Nations experts have demanded the immediate release of women’s rights defenders Zholia Parsi and Neda Parwani, currently held in a Taliban detention facility. The experts believe that their detention is a clear violation of human rights and international law.

The experts, including Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, said in a statement on Thursday, October 31, that they are increasingly concerned about the physical and mental well-being of the two women. Signatories to the statement include seven other senior UN rapporteurs or senior working committee members focusing on women’s rights and discrimination.