Female Taekwondo Coach Released After 13 Days in Detention in Herat

Local sources say Herat authorities have released a female taekwondo coach in Herat after nearly two weeks of detention over alleged rule violations.

Local sources in Herat confirmed that Khadija Ahmadzadeh, a taekwondo coach, was released on Thursday after serving 13 days in Taliban custody.

According to the sources, Ahmadzadeh was detained by Taliban agents from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in the Jebrail township of Herat.

Abdul Rahim Rashid, the Taliban Supreme Court’s head of public communications, said she was sentenced to 13 days in prison by a primary court under the group’s public security division.

Taliban officials accused Ahmadzadeh of violating the group’s morality laws, though no detailed explanation of the alleged offense was made public.

Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s rights, including bans on girls’ education beyond primary school and limits on employment.

Women’s sports have been effectively outlawed, forcing many female athletes, coaches and sports officials to stop all public activities or leave the country.

Ahmadzadeh’s arrest sparked widespread reaction on social media, with activists and ordinary citizens launching online campaigns demanding her immediate release.

Her release follows mounting public pressure, but rights groups say the case underscores ongoing concerns about women’s freedoms under Taliban rule.

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