The Taliban arrested human rights activist Zarifa Yaqubi and several of her associates at a Kabul press conference last Thursday. Their whereabouts are unknown, as are any charges they may face.
Yaqubi was photographed participating in a protest staged in Kabul in early October to speak out against the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education and the lack of human rights for women. Another activist sent me videos she filmed of women walking toward a local university, demanding “Let us in!” After half a day of protesting, the activist said the Taliban arrested and beat some young women before shooting their weapons to disperse the crowds. She showed me video of Taliban fighters brandishing guns, and of women screaming as they fled amid gunfire. She also sent an image of a Taliban fighter taking video of the protesters. Though most women wore coverings to obscure their faces, others like Yaqubi may have been vulnerable to identification.
