Young Afghan Woman, 22, Faces Death by Stoning for Teaching Taekwondo to Girls

A 22-year-old Afghan woman may be facing the death penalty by stoning for her clandestine efforts in training girls in taekwondo.

Khadija Ahmadzada was apprehended on January 10 in Herat, as she was violating the Taliban's restrictions on women engaging in sports.

Authorities discovered her teaching martial arts in a concealed area at her residence.

The news of her arrest has raised alarm among activists, who fear that she might already have been sentenced to death due to her actions.

Activists are urgently working to draw attention to the Taliban's violent crackdown, in hopes of preventing her execution.

British-Afghan activist Shabnam Nasimi stated on Instagram, "She refused to accept that being female is a crime."

Nasimi emphasized, "This quiet act of defiance has led to severe consequences, as witnesses reported that the Taliban's morality police raided her home and took her into custody."

Reports from those close to Ahmadzada suggest that the court has issued a severe death sentence, specifically for the 'offense' of practicing and playing a sport.

She described stoning as an execution method where stones are hurled at a living person until they bleed, collapse, and ultimately die.

Nasimi also reported that both Ahmadzada and her father were forcibly removed from their home and have been detained for over a week.

Concerned family members have reportedly not heard from Ahmadzada for more than a week.

The activist urged her supporters to "ignite widespread awareness by flooding the internet with Ahmadzada's name to help 'save her life.'"

She asserted, "When global attention focuses on regimes like this, they tend to hesitate.

"It’s not due to any moral awakening, but rather a fear of repercussions, exposure, and intervention."

Nasimi posited, "If Khadija gains enough notoriety, they may reconsider their actions."

Since the Taliban regained control in 2021, an entire generation of Afghan women and girls has lost their freedoms.

Girls are barred from attending school, forced to cover themselves completely in public, and prohibited from engaging with non-related males, as well as being seen from neighboring properties.

Moreover, the Taliban's 'vice prevention strategy' has led to prohibitions against women singing or even speaking to one another.