Zahra Mousavi, human rights activist, arrested by Pakistani police

Pakistani police have arrested Zahra Mousavi, a human rights activist and member of Afghanistan’s women’s protest movements, and transferred her to a migrant detention camp.

According to Mousavi’s relatives, she was detained along with her child due to an expired visa and is now at risk of deportation to Afghanistan.

Human rights activists and women’s protest movements have issued statements on social media calling for immediate support for Zahra Mousavi and demanding accountability from the Pakistani government.

The protest movement “New Future for Afghan Women” has urged all media outlets, human rights organizations, and international bodies to take urgent action to prevent the deportation of Zahra Mousavi, who is a staunch defender of women’s rights and a member of their movement.

Members of the movement stated that Mousavi was forced to flee Afghanistan due to her activism in defense of women’s rights, and that her deportation would be “nothing short of handing over this brave advocate to the Taliban.”

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, many human rights activists, journalists, and protesting women have sought refuge in neighboring countries, primarily Iran and Pakistan.

Women protesters assert that the situation in Afghanistan continues to worsen for civil activists, journalists, and especially women, due to the Taliban’s severe restrictions. They argue that systematic repression and the Taliban’s curtailment of individual and social freedoms have compelled them to flee and seek safety in neighboring countries.

The Pakistani government has recently intensified the arrest and deportation of Afghan refugees. According to a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in January 2025 alone, 18,300 Afghan refugees returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan, with nearly 1,000 of them forcibly deported.

The "Lantern of Women's Freedom" movement has also released a statement calling for support for Zahra Mousavi and other refugees, condemning the ongoing arrests and forced deportations. The movement stated: “Every day, Pakistani security forces detain migrants from their homes and the streets under various pretexts and forcibly deport them without considering the dangerous conditions in Afghanistan.”

Members of the movement warned that these arrests and forced deportations are not only devastating the lives of thousands of refugee families but are also putting the lives of human rights activists, journalists, and women who fled Taliban oppression at grave risk.

Protesting women emphasized that the international community, the United Nations, and human rights organizations must urgently take action to halt this process and find practical solutions to support Afghan refugees, especially women and civil activists.