Release of Matiullah Wesa sparks global reactions

KABUL (Agencies): The release of the educational activists and founder of PenPath, Matiullah Wesa, was welcomed by high profile Afghans as well as international officials. US special envoy for Afghan women, Rina Amiri, on X reacted to Wesa’s release who, she said, “should never have been detained for standing up for the rights of Afghan girls to an education.”

Amiri called for the “immediate release of all Afghans unjustly detained for the courageous act of defending their rights.” The US special envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West, wrote on X: “Echo colleagues’ welcome of Matiullah Wesa’s release and call for release of all Afghan human rights defenders.” The Chargé d’Affaires of the Afghanistan Permanent Mission to the UN, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, on his X account said he hoped that all detainees would be released from the Islamic Emirate’s custody.

“This is good news. We hope for the release of all innocent civilian and military prisoners from Taliban detentions,” he said. The UN special rapporteur for Afghanistan had called for Wesa’s release: “I call for the immediate & unconditional release of all Afghanistan human rights defenders who are arbitrarily detained for standing up for their own rights and the human rights of others.” But the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that Wesa was arrested because the interim government had concerns about him.

“The government has the right to detain and investigate the people who are being accused. When the court gives an order for their release, he/she will be released. This is a normal process of the government. Matiullah Wesa was arrested because of concerns regarding public security and protection that the government had,” he said. Wesa spent 215 days in detention of the Islamic Emirate and was released on Thursday.