By Fidel Rahmati IN Khaama Press, March 28, 2023
Matiullah Wesa, the well-known human rights activist who advocated for girls’ education and the founder of Pen Path, was detained by the Taliban on Monday, his brother confirmed.
His brother Ataullah Wesa claimed that Wesa was detained by the Taliban close to their house in the Khoshal Khan Area west of Kabul, while the Taliban rejected the allegation.
Wesa was an education and human rights activist who created educational opportunities for thousands of girls across Afghanistan within the last decade.
Wesa runs an education organization, “Pen Path”, which promotes education in the remote areas of Afghanistan.
Since the closure of the girls’ school by the Taliban, Wesa visited 20 out of 34 provinces of Afghanistan to provide thousands of girls’ students with educational materials.
Wesa’s arrest came amid the beginning of the new academic year in Afghanistan. This is the third consecutive year the Taliban-led government has not reopened girls’ schools beyond sixth grade.
On Sunday, a group of women raised their voices against the prolonged ban on Afghan women and girls’ schools and universities, but the protesters were dispersed by air fire, and three of them were detained by the Taliban. The women protesters were released later by the Taliban.
Wesa’s arrest was confronted with massive condemnation both nationally and internationally. https://www.khaama.com/education-civil-society-activist-matiullah-wesa-detained-by-taliban/
