Afghan LGBTQIA+ Activists Arrested Could Be Stoned To Death
The Taliban have arrested and imprisoned two leading underground Afghan LGBTQIA+ activists in Kabul. Maryam Ravish, a 19-year-old lesbian, and Maeve Alcina Pieescu, a 23-year-old trans woman, face torture and possible execution by stoning. Their arrest took place on March 20 as they tried to board a flight to Iran.
The Heartbreaking Separation
Maryam and Maeve planned to flee Afghanistan with help from Roshaniya, the Afghan LGBTQIA+ network. Parwen Hussaini, Maryam’s 20-year-old partner, managed to board the plane to Iran. The couple had plans to marry in Europe.
Nemat Sadat, CEO of Roshaniya, explained their situation: “When Maryam and Maeve went to board the plane, they were detained by the Taliban’s intelligence unit who searched their phones and discovered LGBTQIA+ content. Maeve and Maryam were beaten by the Taliban. They are expected to be tortured to reveal the names of other LGBTs and sentenced to a long jail term or possibly executed.”
20 year old Lesbian Afghan activist Parwen Hussaini pleads to the world for help in releasing her soulmate Maryam Ravish and friend Maeve Alcina Pieescu from Taliban captivity. #WeAreAfghanLGBTQ pic.twitter.com/FREHU5gVrT
— Roshaniya (@RoshaniyaLGBT) March 27, 2025
Desperate Pleas From Loved Ones
From Iran, Parwen recorded a video message describing her fear. “Maryam’s family got in touch with me and they have threatened my life and so has my own family,” she said. “Maeve and Maryam are still being held in Taliban captivity and they have been beaten and battered very badly.”
Parwen fears the worst possible outcome: “It is possible they would be placed in solitary confinement and stoned to death—it is a possible for them to receive a death penalty.”
Susan Battaglia, Maeve’s sister who now lives in Michigan USA, shared her concerns: “Maeve is my sister and I’m distraught that she is imprisoned. My family in Afghanistan is very anxious about Maeve being tortured and killed.”
The situation has become even more dangerous. “During the Taliban’s interrogation, Maeve confessed that she is not a Muslim and doesn’t believe in Islam,” Battaglia said. “This is scary for our family since the penalty for apostasy—under sharia law—is death.”
The Brutal Reality Of Life Under Taliban Rule
At DNA, we know these arrests reflect the harsh realities faced by our community in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s strict interpretation of Sharia law creates a deadly environment.
“In Maryam’s case, her family refused to accept her sexuality as a lesbian and forced her to marry a man,” Sadat explained. “She tried to escape and Maeve, a trans person, helped her at great personal risk. Maryam and Maeve now face the death penalty for simply wanting to be free and happy.”
Sadat further explained: “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.”
What Can We Do To Help?
Roshaniya works with the Peter Tatchell Foundation in London to publicise this case and push for their release.
Sadat has called for global action: “We ask all human rights organizations (especially Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International) and LGBT+ organizations (especially OutRight International, ILGA Asia, Stonewall, Rainbow Railroad, and Human Rights Campaign) to please help us spread the word about the arrest of Mariam and Maeve and pressure the Taliban regime to release these two brave LGBT+ Afghan human rights defenders.”
How can we support these brave activists? Share their story. Contact human rights organisations mentioned above. Keep their names in the public eye. Their lives depend on international pressure and awareness.
