An author who grew up in Wylam has revealed the harrowing stories of Afghan women judges forced to flee from the Taliban.
Karen Bartlett, a former Hexham Queen Elizabeth High School (QEHS) student, has penned The Escape from Kabul, detailing the lives of Afghan women judges who were in danger after the Taliban regained power in 2021.
Afghanistan's first woman judge was appointed in 1969, but the late 1970s saw a decline in women's rights with the rise of the mujahedeen.
Post-9/11, a new government allowed women to gain legal degrees and become judges.
However, the withdrawal of Western forces in August 2021 left Afghan women judges in peril, as they symbolised everything the Taliban opposed.
Bartlett’s book chronicles the escape of many of these judges, aided by an international network of female judges who formed a support group.
The group managed to help many Afghan women judges and their families escape.
The book also shares the heart-stopping stories of their perilous journeys and the unfortunate fates of those who could not get out.
Bartlett, who had exclusive access to many of the women involved, including those in exile and those still trapped in Afghanistan, documents a unique perspective on the crisis.
She also spoke with women judges from across the globe who played crucial roles in the escape efforts.
Bartlett’s career began as the youngest director of the human rights and democracy campaign group Charter88.
Her experience also includes working as a speechwriter for President Nelson Mandela before transitioning into journalism.
She has contributed to the BBC, The Times, and other notable publications like The Sunday Times, WIRED, and Newsweek.
Residing in London, Bartlett has authored five non-fiction works, including The Health of Nations and the Sunday Times bestseller After Auschwitz.
The Escape from Kabul is available now in paperback and e-book formats for £12.99.
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