News Center- The Martin Ennals Foundation has announced that Zholia Parsi, a women’s rights activist and member of the Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women, has been nominated for the 2024 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.

Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, women protesting Taliban’s policies have been forcibly disappeared, arbitrarily arrested, and detained and subjected to torture and other-ill treatment.

On September 27, 2023, Zholia Parsi was detained and taken from her home in Kabul by members of the Taliban. Her mobile phones, documents, and other personal possessions were confiscated. She was released from Taliban custody on December 18, 2023, after spending three three months in custody.

The Award is named after British human rights activist Martin Ennals, who served as Secretary General of Amnesty International from 1968 to 1980. He co-founded the human rights organizations ARTICLE 19, International Alert and HURIDOCS. The award is an annual prize to honor individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional commitment to defending and promoting human rights, despite the risks involved.

Finalists and the laureate are selected by a Jury of ten of the world’s leading human rights NGOs, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and World Organization against Torture (OMCT).