human rights defender
Wasima Kohistani
Actions and Campaigns
Wasima Kohistani
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER
HRD's year of birth
1996
HRD's Gender
Woman
Type of HRD
- Other
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Women's rights
HRD's geographical origin
Urban
Current Status
Released
HRD's bio and work
Wasima Kohistani is a young woman from Kapisa province, Afghanistan. After learning about Taliban abuses against women, including the arrest of her neighbour Arzo Kohistani, she courageously recorded and shared the story with the media to expose these crimes.
On 11 November 2021, her video documenting Arzo’s arrest was published and gained national and international attention. That same day, at 1 PM, the Taliban arrested Wasima at her home, taking her first to Police District 11 and later transferring her to the Haqqani network and then to the Ministry of Interior detention centre.
She faced multiple forms of ill-treatment and spent four days in detention, at times in solitary confinement alongside Arzo, before being released on 17 November 2021 through the efforts of her family and a guarantee by 25 people.
On 13 February 2022, while staying in a safe house, Wasima was arrested again with other women by the Taliban. She spent 14 days in detention, including 10 days in the intelligence agency (Directorate 40) and the remainder at the Ministry of Interior, before being released on 27 February 2022.
Detained since
Feb 13, 2022
Date of release
Feb 27, 2022
Charge(s)
- Anti-government propaganda
Sentence
She was not formally sentenced, only arbitrarily arrested by the Taliban.
Latitude: 34.52689326039106
Longitude: 69.18972156047384
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Asia: Southern Asia
Location of detention - City/Town
Kabul
Location of detention - Facility
Shash Darak, Intelligence Agency (Directorate 40)
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
After her arrest, Wasima Kohistani was reportedly beaten, tortured during interrogations, immersed naked in dirty water, bitten, subjected to attempted sexual assault, and humiliated.
Any other relevant documents
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vniF5zj2BNs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w1cADf3FQk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bClB6OUeeRA
https://kabulnow.com/2024/01/criticisms-mount-as-talibans-arrest-of-women-continues/
https://www.khaama.com/amnesty-international-urges-immediate-halt-to-afghan-womens-dress-code-crackdown-and-detentions/
https://hrd-plus.net/statement-by-human-rights-defenders-plus-hrd-on-the-widespread-imprisonment-of-women-under-the-pretext-of-sharia-compliance-and-the-wearing-of-the-hijab/
Attachments
Documented by
- Country(ies) of nationality
- HRD's year of birth
- 1996
- HRD's Gender
- Woman
- Type of HRD
- Other
- HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Women's rights
- HRD's Picture
- HRD's bio and work
Wasima Kohistani is a young woman from Kapisa province, Afghanistan. After learning about Taliban abuses against women, including the arrest of her neighbour Arzo Kohistani, she courageously recorded and shared the story with the media to expose these crimes.
On 11 November 2021, her video documenting Arzo’s arrest was published and gained national and international attention. That same day, at 1 PM, the Taliban arrested Wasima at her home, taking her first to Police District 11 and later transferring her to the Haqqani network and then to the Ministry of Interior detention centre.
She faced multiple forms of ill-treatment and spent four days in detention, at times in solitary confinement alongside Arzo, before being released on 17 November 2021 through the efforts of her family and a guarantee by 25 people.
On 13 February 2022, while staying in a safe house, Wasima was arrested again with other women by the Taliban. She spent 14 days in detention, including 10 days in the intelligence agency (Directorate 40) and the remainder at the Ministry of Interior, before being released on 27 February 2022.
- HRD's geographical origin
- Urban
- Country or area of detention
- Region of detention
- Asia: Southern Asia
- Location of detention - City/Town
- Kabul
- Location of detention - Facility
- Shash Darak, Intelligence Agency (Directorate 40)
- Geolocation of detention
Latitude: 34.52689326039106
Longitude: 69.18972156047384
- Geolocation of detention
- Detained since
- Feb 13, 2022
- Current Status
- Released
- Date of release
- Feb 27, 2022
- Charge(s)
- Anti-government propaganda
- Sentence
She was not formally sentenced, only arbitrarily arrested by the Taliban.
- Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
After her arrest, Wasima Kohistani was reportedly beaten, tortured during interrogations, immersed naked in dirty water, bitten, subjected to attempted sexual assault, and humiliated.
- Protection actions and campaigns
- Any other relevant documents
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vniF5zj2BNs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w1cADf3FQk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bClB6OUeeRA
https://kabulnow.com/2024/01/criticisms-mount-as-talibans-arrest-of-women-continues/
https://www.khaama.com/amnesty-international-urges-immediate-halt-to-afghan-womens-dress-code-crackdown-and-detentions/
https://hrd-plus.net/statement-by-human-rights-defenders-plus-hrd-on-the-widespread-imprisonment-of-women-under-the-pretext-of-sharia-compliance-and-the-wearing-of-the-hijab/
- Documented by
- Consent status
- Consent to register, store and publish the information
Supporting files
sorted by
Date added
4 relationships, 3 entities