Urgent Action: EDUCATION ACTIVISTS ARBITRARILY DETAINED (Afghanistan 9.24)

On October 17, 2023, Ahmad Fahim Azimi and Seddiqullah Afghan, two activists working with the education organization, Fekre Behtar, were arbitrarily arrested at their office in Karta Char, Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. They are accused of working against the Taliban de-facto authorities. After being held for 72 days for interrogation in the GDI District 40, they were trialed on December 27, 2023, and subsequently sent to Pul-e-Charkhi prison. Ahmad Fahim Azimi and Seddiqullah Afghan’s arrest and arbitrary detention are against international human rights law. They must be immediately and unconditionally released. 

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• Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
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Sample letter:

Dear Mr. Abdul Haq Wasiq,  

I am writing to express my concern about the arbitrary arrest and detention of education activists Ahmad Fahim Azimi and Sediqullah Afghan, who work with Fekre Behtar, an organization which is recognized for its work with the Afghan girls’ robotics team.

On October 17, 2023, Ahmad Fahim Azimi and Seddiqullah Afghan were arrested at their office in Karta Char, Kabul and kept for 72 days for interrogation. They were falsely accused of assisting girls from the national robotic team to leave the country, inciting women protestors, and organizing protests. Both men and their families have refuted these allegations. On December 27, 2023, Ahmad Fahim Azimi and Seddiqullah Afghan appeared in a Taliban court in Kabul where the Taliban judge deemed the interrogation findings inconclusive and ordered their transfer to Pul-e-Charkhi prison. Both men challenged the judgement and in retaliation, the authorities subjected the two activists to torture and other ill-treatment, including sleep deprivation and solitary confinement.  

I urge you to immediately and unconditionally release Ahmad Fahim Azimi and Seddiqullah Afghan and uphold Afghanistan’s obligations imposed under the Convention against Discrimination in Education by immediately allowing girls to receive education on an equal basis with boys. Finally, I urge you to stop the abductions, arbitrary detention, and torture and other ill-treatment of people working to defend human rights, including those peacefully campaigning for the right to education.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

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