Afghan Woman Detained, Faces Death Penalty for Secretly Teaching Girls Taekwondo

A 22-year-old Afghan woman, Khadija Ahmadzada, has been detained in Herat after secretly training girls in taekwondo, in defiance of the Taliban’s ban on women participating in sports. She was arrested on January 10 when authorities discovered she had been teaching martial arts in a hidden courtyard at her home.

Activists fear Ahmadzada may face a death sentence. Campaigners are urgently raising awareness of her case in hopes of preventing execution.

British-Afghan activist Shabnam Nasimi shared on Instagram that Ahmadzada “refused to accept that being female is a crime.” She described reports from witnesses saying Ahmadzada and her father were forcibly taken from their home and held for over a week. Rumors suggest a court may have sentenced her to stoning, a practice in which a person is killed by being hit with stones.

Nasimi urged supporters to publicize Ahmadzada’s case, noting that international attention can sometimes deter the Taliban. “When the international spotlight lands on a regime like this, they hesitate,” she said.

Since the Taliban regained control in 2021, Afghan women and girls have faced severe restrictions. Many have been barred from attending school, required to cover their faces and bodies in public, and prevented from interacting with unrelated men. Even ordinary activities such as speaking or singing have been restricted under the group’s “vice prevention” policies.