BY: DM
Published 3 weeks ago
Two women were detained on March 20 while trying to flee Afghanistan, and their fate is unclear. The Taliban detained activists Maryam Ravish and Maeve Alcina Pieescu in Kabul. Unfortunately, they are reportedly enduring daily torture.
Here is a look at the saddening ordeal the pair are dealing with.
Two Afghan women were tortured for being part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Ravish, a lesbian woman, was trying to flee to Iran with her partner, Parwen Hussaini, and her friend Pieescu, a transgender woman before Taliban authorities detained them. Officials allegedly found LGBTQIA+ content on their phones during a search, which led to their arrest. Advocates now fear for their safety, as reports suggest that the women are enduring gruesome forms of torture.
“They are expected to be tortured to reveal the names of other LGBTs and sentenced to a long jail term or possibly executed,” said Nemat Sadat, CEO of Roshaniya, the Afghan LGBT network in a press release. “Maryam and Maeve now face the death penalty for simply wanting to be free and happy.”
Ravish’s girlfriend, Hussaini, was able to board the flight and is now in Iran. In a press release, Hussaini emphasized the need for urgency as Ravish may never be set free.
“It is possible they would be placed in solitary confinement and stoned to death — it is possible for them to receive a death penalty,” Hussaini said. “I plead with you to please help us, work with Nemat Sadat and our team at Roshaniya, so we can get help to be relocated to a safe place — me, Maryam, and Maeve — to escape from the existential threats that we face from the Taliban and our relatives.”
LGBTQIA+ groups are advocating for the women.
Ravish and Pieescu’s story is picking up steam worldwide. Outlets like Out and Attitude Magazine are shedding light on the ordeal, hoping to encourage other organizations to get involved. Afghanistan’s legal system, under the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia law, criminalizes same-sex relationships. The Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law, enacted in August 2024, explicitly criminalizes same-sex intimacy, with punishments ranging from imprisonment to death, according to Human Dignity Trust.
Ravish had previously been forced into a marriage by her family after they rejected her sexual orientation. Pieescu’s sister, Susan Battaglia, who resides in Michigan, voiced her fears: “My family in Afghanistan is very anxious about Maeve being tortured and killed.” She also revealed that during interrogations, Maeve disclosed she does not identify as a Muslim, a declaration that could further endanger her given the harsh penalties associated with apostasy under Taliban rule.
“The actual source of this problem is rooted in the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, which deems homosexuality forbidden and a woman’s place to be in the home, which is why Afghan women are required to have a male chaperone if they wish to leave the house and travel on their own,” Sadat exclaimed.
Human rights organizations, including the Peter Tatchell Foundation, are calling for immediate international intervention to prevent further torture or execution of the detained activists.
How do you think the international community should respond to the stop Taliban’s brutal treatment of Ravish and Pieescu? Let’s discuss below.
