Human rights and women’s rights activists have called on Amnesty International, UNAMA, the UN Human Rights Council, and other international bodies to take immediate action to rescue Qadriya, a victim of domestic violence in Baghlan, from her father. They say the Taliban, by handing Qadriya over to her father, have placed her at risk of being stoned to death.
Qadriya, 28, had previously stated in a video from the Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Baghlan that the Taliban intended to release her and return her to her father. In the video, she warned that after being released from prison, she could be killed by her father.
On Saturday, April 6, the Taliban released her and handed her over to her father. There has since been no news about her fate. A group of human rights activists has described this handover as a “criminal act.”
In a statement published on Monday, April 8, the activists wrote: “We urgently call on international organizations to act jointly and responsibly to accept Qadriya and facilitate her transfer to a safe country that upholds human rights.”
These activists, who are part of the “Purple Saturdays Movement” from within Afghanistan, urged human rights organizations, world governments, and civil society activists to advocate for Qadriya and raise their voices to save her.
The statement adds: “Qadriya is neither a criminal nor a threat. She is a woman who has suffered gradual violence and abuse and deserves support, asylum, and a life in safety.”
In a recently published video, Qadriya said that two years ago her father filed a complaint against her in a Taliban court and demanded her stoning.
This domestic violence victim from Baghlan said that at the time, she was facing abuse in her father’s home and fled to her sister’s house in Kabul to save her life.