human rights defender

Ezatullah Zawab

Actions and Campaigns

Urgent support needed

Evacuation and relocation to a safer place

Financial support

Medical assistance

HRD's year of birth

1979

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

Journalist/Blogger

HRD's thematic area of engagement

Civil and political rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

Current Status

Released

HRD's bio and work

Ezatullah Zawab is an Afghan poet and journalist who formerly served as editor-in-chief of Mina, a leading Pashto-language magazine. Though trained as an engineer, his passion for poetry led him to publish works criticizing the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education.

He was previously summoned and threatened by Taliban intelligence, and in January 2024, he was arrested while traveling from Kabul to Jalalabad. He spent 117 days in custody and was later released.

His magazine, Mina, which had resumed publication in late 2023, was halted again following his arrest. He has faced ongoing threats for his advocacy and literary expression.

Detained since

Jan 24, 2024

Date of release

May 20, 2024

Charge(s)

Anti-government propaganda

Latitude: 34.51988221044194

Longitude: 69.34802560944671

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

Asia: Southern Asia

Location of detention - City/Town

Kabul

Location of detention - Facility

Pol e Charkhi prison

Recent case update / evolution

Ezatullah Zawab was threatened by the Taliban for publishing a poem criticizing the ban on girls’ education. While Taliban security officials claimed to his family that his detention was unrelated to his journalism or writing, Zawab reports that the Taliban pressured him to write a book of poetry praising them and their suicide bombers, which he refused, leading to his imprisonment.

After his release, he was summoned twice more by Taliban intelligence — once for publishing two new issues of Mina magazine, and again for reciting a poem at the historic Gul-e-Naranj cultural event, in which he subtly criticized the restrictions on girls’ education. In both instances, he was forced to sign guarantees promising not to criticize the regime again.

Any other relevant documents

https://da.azadiradio.com/a/32955516.html

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjmlrW61ZqNAxUZTaQEHWD9AAUQFnoECBUQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etilaatroz.com%2F200730%2F&usg=AOvVaw15oqFtPPKKI2E717rVXNU4&opi=89978449

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https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjmlrW61ZqNAxUZTaQEHWD9AAUQFnoECCcQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Famu.tv%2Ffa%2F98961%2F&usg=AOvVaw1-wlDvlVzWPcPE3JpAkddW&opi=89978449

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjmlrW61ZqNAxUZTaQEHWD9AAUQFnoECCYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fda.azadiradio.com%2Fa%2F32840967.html&usg=AOvVaw1NI92JtS6iLKlF6Jxx4TAa&opi=89978449

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https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjk6sCg1pqNAxUHUKQEHbCuGNcQFnoECBgQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.voanews.com%2Fa%2Fafghans-arrest-poet-magazine-editor-family-members-say-%2F7458118.html&usg=AOvVaw2stSsPxDAMYpV0bCaM3W_x&opi=89978449

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjk6sCg1pqNAxUHUKQEHbCuGNcQFnoECCQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Frsf.org%2Fen%2Fjournalist-freed-after-being-held-captive-six-days&usg=AOvVaw0bL3c1zZ5HUUkYQLyO5NHo&opi=89978449

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