Sharbat Gula, the green-eyed girl photographed in 1985 in a camp for Afghan refugees, has been arrested in Pakistan on charges of fraudulent identity papers, the BBC reported.
Thirty-one years later, Gula is still a refugee, but now faces up to 14 years in jail and fines of up to $3,000 as Pakistan has cracked down and repatriated thousands of Afghan refugees, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades.
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency said they are looking for Gula's husband and the officials who issued the ID card to her under the name of Sharbat Bibi.
National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry photographed Gula when she was 12 years old and had fled the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. One of the most recognizable photographs in the world, McCurry managed to track her down again in 2002 after searching for her for 17 years.
On his Instagram account, McCurry described Gula's arrest as "an egregious violation of her human rights."
"We are doing everything we can to get the facts by contacting our colleagues and friends in the area," he went on. "I am committed to doing anything and everything possible to provide legal and financial support for her and her family... she has suffered throughout her entire life."
McCurry previously raised funds to support Gula's greatest wish - sending her and her family on Hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
UN figures estimate 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees live in Pakistan. An additional one million unregistered refugees are also believed to be living there.
