Angelina Jolie targets case of jailed education activist

NPR 22 August 2023

On 27 March the Taliban arrested and jailed Afghan education activist Matiullah Wesa. The cofounder of a non-profit group dedicated to promoting education in rural parts of Afghanistan, he had been speaking out to demand that the Taliban reverse their decisions in 2022 to close high schools for girls and ban girls from university, writes Ruchi Kumar for NPR.

The United Nations and various diplomats called for his release. High-profile media groups wrote about him and the outpouring of support for his case. According to the Associated Press, “the UN urged authorities in Kabul to clarify Wesa’s whereabouts, reasons for his arrest and ensure his access to legal representation and contact with family”.

Nearly five months later, Wesa is still in prison. Media attention has faded. And the Taliban has still not stated the reason for his arrest, although individual Taliban leaders have, on social media and local news channels, accused him of being a spy and working against the interest of the country. Now Angelina Jolie is trying to bring his case back in the public eye. Last week, the actor and humanitarian activist sent an email letter to Wesa in care of his brother.
Full report on the NPR site

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