Marriage to Taliban commander; the beginning of 20 days of suffering and the end of life by suicide.
In the latest example of widespread violence against women under Taliban rule, a newlywed in Azra district of Logar province has ended her life by shooting herself.
According to local sources, the girl had married a Taliban commander in the same district only 20 days ago, but in this short period of time she had faced “severe violence, humiliating restrictions and psychological pressure”; conditions that, according to the girl’s acquaintances, had brought her to the brink of collapse.
While families often do not dare to speak out due to pressure and threats, the incident once again draws attention to the silent wave of domestic violence, forced marriages, and the unaccountability of these crimes under the Taliban regime.
Despite the sensitivity of the issue, local Taliban officials have so far shown no reaction to the incident; women’s rights activists believe that silence on such cases is part of a policy of ignoring and covering up structural violence against women in Afghanistan.
