On Tuesday, the UN called on Taliban authorities to explain why a prominent Afghan girls’ education activist was arrested in Kabul this week.
The Taliban’s information ministry and intelligence agency didn’t immediately comment or confirm the detention.
“Matiullah Wesa, leader of (Pen Path) and champion for girls’ education, was detained in Kabul Monday,” UNAMA reported. “UNAMA urges on the de facto authorities to reveal his location, the grounds for his detention, and to assure his legal counsel and family communication.”
Wesa, from Kandahar, has long fought for girls’ education, particularly in traditional rural regions. He said education programs did not touch many rural girls during the previous Western-backed foreign administration. Pen Path has spoken with tribal elders, pushed communities and authorities to create schools, and distributed books and mobile libraries.
The Taliban has banned most girls from high school and women from colleges, citing issues including female Islamic attire. Authorities are working to reopen schools but have not provided a timeline.
They say they protect women’s rights according to Islamic law and Afghan culture and that many small children may go to school safely since foreign forces left.
Wesa told Reuters last year that he was neutral and focused on helping communities promote females’ education.
