human rights defender
Khadija Ahmad Zada
Actions and Campaigns
human rights defender
Actions and Campaigns
Continued protection and monitoring are recommended due to reported surveillance.
2003
Woman
Urban
Released
Khadija Ahmad Zada is an Afghan taekwondo athlete and coach from Herat who has supported and trained girls and women in sports. She was reportedly associated with Afghanistan’s national taekwondo community and continued providing training to girls in Jebrael Township despite restrictions on women’s participation in sports. She also appeared in a documentary highlighting the situation of Afghan women under the Taliban. Her activities contribute to the promotion of women’s rights, access to sports, and freedom of participation in public and social life.
Jan 10, 2026
Jan 22, 2026
13 days of detention.
Latitude: 34.35626963205922
Longitude: 62.219823835160604
Herat
GDI detention center
Her detention and the restrictions on her participation in women’s sports raised concerns regarding discrimination and violations of women’s rights.
According to Taliban judicial authorities, she had been sentenced to 13 days for allegedly violating Taliban morality regulations. Local sources reported that the allegations against her were not substantiated in court.
https://www.change.org/p/free-khadija-ahmadzada-and-protect-afghan-girls-right-to-sport/u/34231751
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1evv6dz3e9o
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15484465/Afghan-woman-faces-death-stoning-arrested-teaching-girls-taekwondo.html
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