Afghan Taekwondo Athlete Marzieh Hamidi Files Complaint in France After Death Threats

The source of these threats is a recent video posted on social media in which the athlete denounces the new restrictions imposed on women in Afghanistan.

For denouncing the Taliban, she is receiving death threats. Afghan taekwondo athlete Marzieh Hamidi, who has been a refugee in France for three years, filed a complaint on Tuesday, September 3, including for “repeated threats of rape and death,” “cyberbullying and malicious phone calls,” franceinfo learned from her lawyer, confirming information from the newspaper Le Parisien. The origin of these threats is a recent video that the athlete posted on social media on August 27.

In this video, Marzieh Hamidi denounces the new restrictions imposed on women by the Taliban since their return to power three years ago, such as the ban on showing their faces in public, on expressing themselves outside their homes. A freedom that is even more restricted after the already restricted or even prohibited access to school, work or sports.

With her video, the 22-year-old athlete launched a hashtag: #LetUsExist, “Let us exist”, and since then, she has been the target of a digital and even telephone raid, as explained by Inès Davau, her lawyer. “There are repeated threats of rape and death, she has also received photos of herself doctored with sexual commentssays Inès Davau. The investigation will perhaps provide more details on how her telephone number ended up in the hands of thousands of people, and how Ms Hamidi ended up receiving thousands of calls from European countries, the United States, Saudi Arabia, France… There is this international dimension which is very worrying.”adds the lawyer.

As a result of these threats, Marzieh Hamidi had to move. She is forced into hiding, but she remains determined to continue her fight for Afghan women. As proof, the new photo she posted on Monday, in a dress, bare shoulders, in front of a tapestry representing the Eiffel Tower and this message: “Long live the resistance”.