UK seeks answers about 'disappeared' Afghan women activists

The United Kingdom on Sunday shared concern over the disappearance of women activists in Afghanistan.

"Full support to Special Representative of the Secretary General . @DeborahLyonsUN in expressing the deepening concerns of the international community and seeking answers about 'disappeared' activists," said Hugo Shorter, Charge d'Affaires, UK Mission to Afghanistan.

The UN top envoy in Afghanistan on Sunday expressed deep concern about the well-being of "disappeared" women activists. This message was conveyed by Deborah Lyons head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan to Afghanistan's acting Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Abdul Kabir.

"@DeborahLyonsUN met dfA DepPM Abdul Kabir today to convey deepening concern about the well-being of 'disappeared' women activists. Kabir committed to seek answers. We appreciate this and await update. World support to Afghanistan is eroded without respect for all Afghan's rights," the UN Mission in Afghanistan tweeted.

Separately, Special Envoy of the European Union for Afghanistan Tomas Niklasson slammed the Taliban, saying that arbitrary detention of citizens contradicts outfits' declared commitments to upholding human rights.

"The Taliban announced 'interim government' claims to be owned by the people. Arbitrary detention of citizens and disappearances undermine such claims and contradict their declared commitments to upholding human rights. I join the call for an immediate release," Niklasson tweeted.

Earlier this week, US Special Envoy Rina Amiri had asked the Taliban to stop unjust detentions of Afghans' human rights if the outfit wishes to seek legitimacy from the Afghan people and the world.

"These unjust detentions must stop. If the Taliban seek legitimacy from the Afghan people & the world, they must respect Afghans' human rights - especially for women - including the freedom of expression and immediately release these women, their relatives, and other activists," Amiri had tweeted.

This comes after media reports said that the Taliban arrested two women activists in Kabul on Thursday. Recently, women activists who were voicing for their rights in the capital city started disappearing in recent months.

The UN Mission in Afghanistan has sought information from the Taliban on the latest reported detentions by the outfit.