A 22-year-old Afghan woman who was reportedly operating a taekwondo gym for girls has been released after spending 13 days in custody, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s supreme court confirmed.

Khadija Ahmadzada was detained for allegedly violating Taliban regulations governing women’s sports facilities, according to a spokesperson for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. Women have been barred from sports clubs since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Officials had previously said women’s sports facilities would reopen once a “safe environment” consistent with their interpretation of Islamic law was established. However, as of January 2026, no such facilities have reopened and women remain prohibited from competing.

Ahmadzada, who lives near the western Afghan city of Herat, was arrested along with several others after inspectors reported violations at her gym. Authorities accused her of failing to wear what they deemed appropriate hijab, playing music, and allowing men and women to mix in the facility. She was sentenced to 13 days in jail and reportedly had received multiple prior warnings.

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The case was later referred to the Taliban’s supreme court, which announced her release on Thursday, January 22. Her current whereabouts remain unclear.

Her arrest sparked widespread criticism on social media and drew the attention of Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, who publicly called for her immediate release.

Bennett also highlighted the case of Nazira Rashidi, a female journalist detained in late December in the northern city of Kunduz. Taliban officials have denied that Rashidi’s detention is linked to her journalism, according to local media reports.

Source: BBC