Taliban Holds an Afghan-Canadian Aid Worker in Captivity Amid Strengthened Crackdown on Activists, Foreigners

Taliban arrested a Canadian activist and aid worker in Afghanistan at gunpoint about a month ago and imprisoned her without charge.

According to Dastaan Noor, who resides in Ottawa, Nadima Noor, a social media activist and creator of the non-governmental group Dream Voice Act, was detained together with six of her coworkers at their Kabul office on Feb. 13.

Arrested Canadian's Brother Worries About Her

It's unclear what accusations - if any - Nadima is facing, and her brother claims the Taliban administration won't tell him why she was detained or when she'll be released. Foreigners, women, and activists have been targeted in Afghanistan since the Taliban gained control of the government last October. The Taliban launched a series of raids in January aimed at female activists.

Dastaan claims that his sister is well-known in Afghanistan for advocating for women's rights and that she has always followed the laws while working there, even obtaining Taliban consent before performing media interviews. "These arrests are a lesson to all the foreigners in Afghanistan who are not obeying the rules," an unidentified Afghan government official familiar with the matter told the Washington Post.

Dastaan claims that his family has contacted the Canadian government but that there is nothing the government can do. Canada does not recognize the present Afghan government as legitimate and regards the Taliban as a terrorist group. Because of privacy considerations, Global Affairs Canada declined to comment directly on Nadima's situation but said the ministry is "aware of a Canadian currently incarcerated in Afghanistan" and is assisting the individual's family.

Originally from Afghanistan, the Noor siblings escaped with their family during the Soviet-Afghan War. They arrived in Canada in 1999 after spending several years traveling between countries and living in refugee camps. Nadima eventually returned to her own country to serve as a humanitarian, according to her brother. Thousands of Afghans fled the nation when the Taliban gained control of Kabul in August 2021. Nadima, on the other hand, was tired of escaping and opted to stay put.

Since his sister's detention, Dastaan says he hasn't been able to communicate with her; but he has been in touch with her NGO colleagues, some of whom have since been freed. He's also been able to communicate with her through pals in Kabul, CBC reported.

Taliban's Crackdown in Afghanistan

According to activists, the Taliban has put a stop to a blood donation event organized by campaigners to commemorate International Women's Day today. The extremist group's understanding of Islam states that the Taliban is devoted to preserving the rights of women.

In comparison to the first time the Taliban controlled Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, its policies - and pressure from other nations - have allowed limited freedoms in certain sections of the country. Girls will be permitted to return to high school later this month, according to the organization. Women can also go to university and work in some fields, such as education and health.

They do, however, suffer limitations. Activists who were protesting for women's rights were assaulted and detained. Women have not been selected to the Taliban's executive leadership, Morning Star Online.