The United Nations has demanded an explanation from the Taliban over the arrest of a renowned Afghan campaigner for girls’ education in Kabul. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Tuesday that “Matiullah Wesa, leader of [Pen Path] and champion for girls’ education, was detained in Kabul [on] Monday.” “UNAMA urges on the de facto authorities to disclose his location, the grounds for his detention, and to guarantee that he is able to communicate with his family and legal counsel.”
There was no quick response to a request for comment or confirmation of the detention from representatives of the Taliban government’s information ministry or intelligence agency. Wesa, a native of the southern region of Kandahar, has long fought for the education of females, especially in rural areas. He first raised this issue when he claimed that many rural girls were not touched by education services under the previous foreign regime supported by the West. Pen Path, the organization he founded, has spoken with tribal elders, lobbied for the establishment of new educational facilities, and distributed books and mobile libraries. According to local sources, Wesa was detained upon his return from a vacation to Europe by security personnel affiliated with the Taliban. The Taliban government has banned female students from attending institutions of higher education after the sixth grade, citing concerns about issues such as female Muslim clothing. School reopening has been announced by officials, although no definite date has been provided. They claim that the increased security in the nation after the withdrawal of foreign forces has made it safer for many young children to go to school, and that they respect the rights of women in accordance with their understanding of Islamic law and Afghan custom. Wesa has been vocal about his support for women’s education and his calls for the Taliban to lift restrictions on women’s access to education.
The new school year in Afghanistan coincided with his most recent comments regarding girls’ access to education, which remained severely limited. The negative effects of closing schools cannot be overstated. We’ve spoken with community members and plan to keep protesting as long as schools are closed,” he said on Twitter last week. Hours before his detention, he tweeted, “Men, women, old, young, everyone from every part of the country are appealing for the Islamic rights to education of their daughters.” Richard Bennett, the UN’s special rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan, expressed concern over Wesa’s arrest. Bennett tweeted, “His safety is important, and all of his legal rights must be honored.”