Afghanistan: Fears for Lives of Two LGBTQ+ Women Arrested by Taliban

A young woman is pleading for the release of her soulmate, one of two LGBTQ+ women arrested by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Maryam Ravish, 19, a lesbian woman, and Maeve Alcina Pieescu, 23, a trans woman, were detained on 20 March 2025 while attempting to flee Afghanistan via a Mahan Airlines flight from Kabul.

With support from Roshaniya, an Afghan LGBT+ network, the women were trying to escape the country’s oppressive regime. According to reports, they were stopped and assaulted by authorities after officials found LGBTQ+ content on their phones.

Fears of Torture and Execution

There are grave concerns that their lives may now be in danger.

“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, told the UK-based rights group, the Peter Tatchell Foundation.

Sadat explained that Maryam’s family had rejected her sexual orientation and forced her into a marriage with a man. “She tried to escape, and Maeve, a trans person, helped her at great personal risk,” he said.

He added: “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…”

A Heartbreaking Plea

Parwen Hussaini, Maryam’s lesbian partner who successfully fled Afghanistan, has made a desperate appeal for the release of her girlfriend and friend.

In a video message in Farsi, Parwen said: “Maeve and Maryam are still being held in Taliban captivity and they have been beaten and battered very badly. Maeve’s family hasn’t gotten in touch with us and they have not gone to try to get Maeve released… they have dismissed our request to work with them.”

She confirmed that she has received no word from the two women since their arrest. “It is possible they have been placed in solitary confinement and stoned to death—it is possible for them to receive the death penalty.”

Parwen pleaded for international human rights and LGBTIQ+ organisations to support efforts to “pursue our freedom and save our loved ones from harm’s way.”

Life Under the Taliban

The Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021, following the withdrawal of American troops. The regime enforces a harsh interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, under which homosexuality is punishable by death.

Women and girls face widespread and systematic discrimination. They are prohibited from attending high school or university, barred from most employment opportunities, and forbidden from holding senior government roles. Despite being denied medical education, they are also not permitted to consult male healthcare professionals. Punishments are severe, and reports indicate a surge in forced marriages involving girls under the age of 18.

ICC Action Against Taliban Leaders

In January, the International Criminal Court (ICC) filed arrest warrant applications for two senior Taliban figures: Hibatullah Akhundzada, Supreme Leader of the Taliban, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Chief Justice of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”

They stand accused of committing crimes against humanity by targeting Afghan women, girls, and members of the LGBTQI+ community.

It’s believed to be the first time that the ICC explicitly acknowledged LGBTQI+ individuals as victims of persecution in its warrant applications.