Khadija Ahmadzada Released After 13-Day Detention by Taliban

Fri Jan 23 2026 22:29:06 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A young Afghan female athlete, Khadija Ahmadzada, has been released by the Taliban after spending 13 days in jail for allegedly violating sports regulations. This incident highlights the ongoing suppression of women's rights under Taliban rule.

Khadija Ahmadzada, a 22-year-old taekwondo instructor, was detained by the Taliban for violations related to women's sports rules and was sentenced to 13 days in jail. Her release has been confirmed as part of the larger context of restrictions imposed on women's rights in Afghanistan since 2021, including an ongoing ban on women's sports clubs. Ahmadzada’s case attracted international attention, emphasizing the urgency for women's rights in the region.

A 22-year-old Afghan woman who was reportedly running a taekwondo gym for girls has been released after spending 13 days in jail, a spokesman for the Taliban's supreme court confirmed.

Khadija Ahmadzada was detained for being in violation of rules regarding women's sports gyms, according to the Taliban's ministry of vice and virtue. Since the Taliban retook power in 2021, women's sports clubs have been closed, with prior claims that they would reopen once a safe environment aligned with their interpretation of Islamic law was established.

As of January 2026, no sports clubs have reopened, leaving women unable to compete in any form of athletics. Ahmadzada was arrested alongside others after violations were observed by inspectors from the Taliban’s ministry. Her allegations included not adhering to proper hijab standards, playing music, and allowing genders to mix in her establishment. Following multiple warnings, she was carefully monitored until her case was escalated to the supreme court.

The detention sparked significant backlash on social media, prompting calls for her release from human rights advocates, including Richard Bennett, the United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan. The global community continues to remain concerned about such cases as they represent a larger pattern of curtailments on women's rights across Afghanistan.

Ahmadzada's case not only brings attention to the tragic circumstances surrounding her detention but also underscores the plight of women journalists like Nazira Rashidi, who faced her own detention under ambiguous circumstances.