Kabul, Jan 16 (Agency) Dozens of women held a protest in the Afghan capital on Sunday demanding the release of a female military officer who was taken prisoner by the Taliban four months ago, and also against the arbitrary killing of a young Hazara woman by the Taliban two days ago. The women gathered in large numbers in Kabul demanding the Taliban release Alia Azizi from prison and to protest against the killing of Zeinab Abdullahi two days ago. The Taliban used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the protesters, who kept converging to take forward the protest, holding aloft placards and photographs of the two women. They held posters saying “People, wake up; “Dark days are on the way.” Charlie Faulkner, correspondent for The Time who was part of the protest, said on Twitter: “Women’s protest in Kabul over the fatal shooting of Zainab at a police checkpoint and the disappeared Herat prison manager Alia Azizi. “Taliban blocked us from covering it despite having work permits and paperwork stipulating permission to operate as journalists in Afghanistan,” she posted.
Alia Azizi’s mother has called on human rights activists and international organizations to advocate for her release. Afghan civil society activists have urged the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Amnesty to intervene in the matter. Alia was a military officer and director of the women’s prison in Herat. She was the only earning member of her home, looking after a disabled husband, and child. Her whereabouts and condition remain unknown to her family. The women protesters also demanded the release of girls from Balkh who were arrested by Taliban for holding a protest in September last year. Akram Gizabi, Chairman, World Hazara Council, and a journalist, said in a tweet: ”Alia Azizi has committed no crime. She was a police officer who was doing her job and based on Taliban’s own amnesty, she should be free.
But being a woman, a police officer, and a #Hazara she is languishing in prison for the last four months.” Zeinab Abdullahi was shot dead by Taliban while returning from a wedding on a Kabul street on January 13; the Taliban warned her family to keep their daughter’s murder a secret. The incident took place in the Golai area of ??the 13th district of Kabul. Zainab was a member of the Hazara community and an economics graduate. She was shot in the heart at a checkpoint in Kabul when she was returning from a wedding. The Taliban also kidnapped six Uzbek women a few days ago, said Afghan rights activists on social media. Amin Arman, a rights activist, said in a tweet:”A Taliban terrorist fired a shot into Zainab’s heart, killing her. “The Taliban opened fire on a car carrying Zeinab Abdullahi and her family in the Hazara area west of Kabul – Barchi. Zeinab was killed by a bullet that hit her in the heart. Why?” Zeinab Abdullahi was engaged to be married. Later, Taliban forces arrived at Zeinab Abdullahi’s burial site and told the victim’s family that this was a mistake and that it would be better not to talk about it further. The Afghanistan Women’s Political Participation Network, has in a tweet demanded answers from the Taliban government. “The Taliban must answer, where is Alia Azizi? Why did you kill Zeinab Ahmadi and Zeinab Abdullahi? The killers must be punished,” they said.