For over a decade, Matiullah Wesa traveled across Afghanistan with a mobile school and library, trying to improve access to education for children in remote areas.
Even after the Taliban seized power in 2021 and restricted female education, the 30-year-old continued to urge parents and community leaders in impoverished rural areas to send boys and girls to school.
But Wesa, head of the Pen Path nongovernmental organization, paid the price for his work this week when he was beaten and arrested in Kabul. His two brothers, who worked with him, were briefly detained. Meanwhile, his family's home was raided by Taliban fighters.
Wesa's arrest on March 27 on unknown charges has sparked an international outcry and served to highlight the Taliban's intensifying crackdown on dissent. In recent weeks, the militant group has arrested a number of activists and educators.
"Wesa's arrest is a major sign of oppression and authoritarianism," Orzala Ashraf Nemat, an Afghan researcher, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "There was nothing political about his work, and he didn't campaign against any government."
With the help of his vast network of volunteers, Pen Path claims to have distributed stationery and books to more than 1.5 million children across Afghanistan. A widely known figure, Wesa was a respected campaigner for education.
Since his arrest, the Taliban has launched a smear campaign against Wesa, portraying him as a Western spy in Afghanistan.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused Wesa, who hails from the southern province of Kandahar, the Taliban's stronghold, of conspiring with foreigners.
"He acted on his own and had public and secret meetings [with foreigners] without informing our government," Mujahid told VOA. "He was taking directions from outside."
Last month, Wesa traveled to Brussels, where he met with European officials. He has previously met with United Nations officials and Western diplomats in Kabul, often posting photos of his meetings. [ RFE/JS ]
