Afghanistan: Education Activist Arbitrarily Detained
On 17 October 2023, at 4 pm, the Taliban GDI District 40 special forces entered Fekr Behtar’s office and arbitrarily arrested Ahmad Fahim Azimi. Azimi was then brought to the court for forced confession for inciting women to protest and organizing protests. Both Azimi and his family denied these allegations. Despite their plea of Azimi’s innocence, on 1 April 2024, the Taliban primary court convicted Azimi and sentenced him to a year in prison following an unfair trial and lack of due process.
Following the court decision, Ahmad Fahim Azimi's father suffered a severe stroke. The stroke has left him in a critical condition, requiring constant medical attention and intensive care. He is currently hospitalized, and his prognosis is uncertain. The immense stress and anxiety over his son's wrongful imprisonment have exacerbated his health condition.
Ahmad Fahim Azimi is an education activist working with Fekre Behtar organization which is highly recognized for its advocacy for girls’ education and its criticism of the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education. Azimi has worked closely with the Afghan national robotic girls’ team in Herat province. Fekre Behtar has been working to carry out educational activities in coordination with existing working legislation and procedures for the past two years offering training for Afghan girls in the fields of languages and robotics.
Ahmad Fahim Azimi and Seddiqullah Afghan were held in the GDI District 40 detention centre for 72 days, allegedly accused of assisting girls from the national robotic team to leave the country, and inciting women to protest and organizing protests. In these 72 days, both activists endured physical and psychological torture as well as other forms of ill treatment. They have been deprived of sleep and kept in solitary confinement. They were not provided access to a lawyer during the interrogation period, nor access to medical support. Seddiqullah Afghan was released on 9 April under the Taliban’s supreme leader Eid pardon decision for prisoners.
The United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) have condemned Azimi and Afghan’s arbitrary arrest and called for an immediate end to arbitrary arrests, as well as for the rights to family visit, lawyers, care, and fair trial to be upheld. UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor has called for the immediate release of these two activists. UN experts also urged for the immediate release of Afghan rights defenders, on 22 April 2024.