Julia Parsi, a women’s rights activist in Afghanistan, was released from Taliban custody on Monday after spending three months behind bars because of her activism for women. The Taliban Intelligence Directorate arrested Julia at her residence in Kabul on September 27 and took her and her young son to an unknown location.
On December 4, reports surfaced suggesting a decline in Julia’s physical well-being, allegedly due to mistreatment during her time in a Taliban prison. Various Afghan women’s rights activists took to social media, stating that she was admitted to the hospital in a state of severe physical and mental distress resulting from brutal treatment while in Taliban custody.
While sources, including one close to Julia’s family, have verified her hospitalization, the Taliban has yet to furnish any information to the family regarding the rationale behind the transfer, the nature of her illness, or the activist’s current physical condition.
Hailing from Takhar province, Julia had devoted many years to teaching Persian language and literature in local schools. She also founded a women’s library. Her commitment to education persisted in Kabul until the city’s fall on August 15, 2021. The subsequent closure of the schools where she had worked served as a pivotal moment, propelling her further into advocacy.
Julia Parsi’s name became synonymous with bravery as she, along with other women, stood unarmed on the streets of Kabul during protests, facing armed Taliban forces and vocalizing their demands for freedom. Despite a climate of escalating fear and reports of fellow protesters facing disappearance or death in Balkh, Julia courageously maintained visibility in the media, boldly championing the fundamental rights of women to education and work.
Fawzia Koofi, a former Afghan government representative, expressed her support on her X network account, stating, “I’m sure that prison has reinforced your and your companions’ determination to fight.”
Even though more than two years have passed since the Taliban’s decree banning girls from studying beyond the sixth grade in Afghanistan, there remains no indication of reopening schools to girls studying above the sixth grade. The Taliban, in power, has issued multiple decrees imposing restrictions on women, presenting significant challenges for Afghan women, including limited access to education, employment, and public spaces.
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- Fizza Tanveer writes stories about history for The Feisty News. She resurrects lost stories with her pen-as-time machine. To her, history isn't mere facts and figures; instead, it's about understanding the past's impact on our world.
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