UN Rights Envoy Urges Release of Detained Journalist and Female Sports Coach in Afghanistan

The UN human rights rapporteur for Afghanistan called for the immediate release of a journalist and a female sports coach detained by authorities.

The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, has called for the immediate release of two women detained in separate incidents in northern and western Afghanistan.

In a post on X on Saturday, Bennett said he was deeply concerned about the arrest of a female journalist in Kunduz and a female taekwondo coach in Herat, urging Taliban to ensure their safety.

Local sources reported that Nazera Rashidi, a journalist based in Kunduz, was detained on January, 10 by intelligence forces. Authorities later confirmed her arrest, claiming she and four other women were being held in connection with a criminal case.

In a separate incident, Khadija Ahmadzada, a women’s taekwondo coach in Herat’s Jebrail district, was detained last week by officials enforcing moral conduct regulations, according to local residents.

Bennett said the detentions reflect a broader pattern of intimidation and repression targeting women professionals, journalists and civil society figures across the country.

International rights groups say arrests are often carried out without due process, leaving families uninformed and detainees without access to legal representation.

The incidents come amid mounting restrictions on women’s participation in public life, including bans on education, employment and sports.

The United Nations and foreign governments have repeatedly warned that continued rights violations risk further isolating Afghanistan diplomatically and worsening its humanitarian and economic crises.

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