Afghan human rights activist Wazir Khan has been arrested by Taliban officials for campaigning for girls’ right to education in Afghanistan. Family members confirmed the news, stating that the 25-year-old activist was taken from his home in Kabul on February 24. Local Taliban officials carried out the arrest, and he was taken to a facility run by the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), the Taliban’s intelligence agency.
Wazir Khan’s brother, Amir Khan, informed *The Independent* that Taliban officials handcuffed Wazir, blindfolded him, and took him away from his home in the Butkhak area of Kabul. “We have no information about where he is being held or his condition. It has been over seven days since his arrest,” Amir Khan said.
“Wazir Khan worked for human rights and was an advocate for children’s education. Why was he arrested? What crime did he commit? Instead of being praised, he is now imprisoned in Afghanistan,” his brother added.
Human rights activist Samantha Leaning, who has worked closely with Wazir Khan for nearly two years, stated, “It has been over a week since his arrest, and as of Monday, we have no information about his whereabouts or safety. We suspect he is being held in a Taliban detention facility.”
Since 2022, Wazir Khan has been running a non-profit organization called *Today’s Child*, which focuses on raising awareness about girls’ education. The organization has been actively promoting education in rural areas of Afghanistan.
Samantha Leaning told The Independent, “The Taliban considers any activity related to women’s education within Afghanistan as crossing a red line. However, Wazir Khan was advocating for education for both girls and boys under the age of 12, which is permitted under the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia law.” She added that Wazir Khan had been “concerned about his safety,” indicating that he was already under threat from the Taliban.
The young Afghan educator had been using the hashtag #LetAfghanGirlsLearn on his social media platforms, which may have contributed to his troubles with the Taliban.
Several social media photos and videos show Wazir Khan in remote areas of Afghanistan, where he was campaigning among rural elders and tribal leaders to continue educating their children. During his outreach activities, he was often seen distributing storybooks and notebooks to Afghan children and sharing stories with them.
The Taliban has not issued any official statement regarding Wazir Khan’s arrest. However, this is not the first time the hardline group has arrested someone for advocating women’s education. In March 2023, the Taliban detained prominent Afghan educator Matiullah Wesa in Kabul, who had been traveling across remote areas of the country with his mobile library for several months. During his detention at a GDI facility, Wesa was severely beaten and tortured. He was released after 215 days in prison.
Mr. Wesa had been vocal in his demands for girls’ right to attend school and repeatedly called on the Taliban-led government to lift restrictions on women’s education. Since his release, he has maintained a low public profile and refrained from actively campaigning for Afghan girls’ right to education.
For over three years, the Taliban has banned education for girls beyond the sixth grade, depriving millions of girls and women of their right to education.
Date: March 5, 2025
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