Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, there has been an increase in mysterious killings. Over the past two years, at least 60 women in 10 provinces have been mysteriously murdered, and dozens more have disappeared. While these numbers have been widely reported by the media, many cases remain unreported in the media’s reflection. Women and protesting girls have expressed deep concerns over the continuation of these killings, holding the Taliban responsible for these incidents. However, reports indicate that former military personnel, civil activists, former government officials, ethnic leaders, journalists, media workers, and children have been mysteriously murdered over the past two years. In the latest incident, a female YouTuber was killed in Kabul, prompting widespread reactions. On the other hand, citizens of the country state that the lack of rule of law and the presence of a vengeful spirit among the Taliban have increased mysterious killings. UNAMA has also recently stated that despite the Taliban regime’s announcement of a general amnesty, dozens of former military personnel and government officials have been mysteriously murdered.
In the two-year period of Taliban rule, statistics indicate that dozens of citizens, particularly women and girls, have been mysteriously murdered. According to published reports, during this time, at least 50 women have been killed in provinces including Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Kapisa, Baghlan, Kunduz, Helmand, Faryab, and Bamyan. The victims include former military personnel, doctors, human rights activists, protesting women and girls, as well as students and teachers.
However, protesting women and girls, concerned about the continuation of these mysterious killings, hold the Taliban primarily responsible for these events. According to them, with the Taliban’s control, a majority of women who have been socially active over the past twenty years are now living under widespread threats. These protesters emphasize that dozens of women and girls in the country have been killed, but due to restricted information access and public fear of the Taliban, women have disappeared without a “name or grave.”
These protesters continue to highlight that following the repeal of laws against violence against women and other enacted regulations, women face abundant threats and systematic eradication. They underscore that currently no woman is under legal protection or the safeguard of human rights institutions, and anyone engaging in actions against women goes unquestioned.
On the other hand, since the collapse of the republic system, thousands of divorced women have been at risk. Protesting women and girls state that the balance of power has shifted in favor of former husbands who have affiliations with the Taliban. According to them, divorced women have gone into hiding out of fear of revenge from their former spouses and in some cases have been mysteriously murdered.
Mehraieen (pseudonym), one of the protesting girls, states that dozens of women have mysteriously been murdered over the past two years. According to her, the Taliban threaten the families of the victims, warning that if the details of these killings are made public, other members of their families will also be at risk of murder. This protesting girl expresses, “Families are being threatened by the Taliban, fearing that all their members will be wiped out. Therefore, they bear the pain alone and suffer. We witness dozens of mysterious killings, but no one can raise their voice.”
This comes as about a month ago, the bloody body of a woman was discovered in Kunduz province. Sources reported that the body of the woman was found in the Dasht-e Shakh Tapa area of Ali Abad district, bearing knife wounds in various parts of her body. Similar incidents have previously been reported in the media in different parts of the country.
However, media outlets have reported that Hoora Sadat, a female YouTuber in Kabul, has died in a suspicious event. The death of this young lady has led to widespread protests. Some civil and media activists have attributed the mysterious killings to the Taliban. However, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s Kabul Security Command has stated that three individuals have been arrested in connection with this incident and that an investigation is underway.
Reports published over the past two years indicate that children have also been extensively discriminated against and killed. In the latest case, social media users are circulating a photo of a child’s body, reportedly found hanging in a mysterious manner. Social media users claim that a ten-year-old child named Motaseembillah has been found hanging alongside his younger sister in the Zardew area of Shuhada district in Badakhshan province. These users allege that the children’s father was also assassinated by the Taliban several years ago.
This comes as some citizens of the country have expressed concern over the increase in mysterious killings. These citizens state that despite the Taliban’s claim of ensuring security, people are witnessing daily occurrences of targeted and mysterious killings. According to them, in the absence of a rule of law and an accountable system, people are exposed to various threats. These citizens further argue that the Taliban, by dismantling legal and judicial mechanisms, have fostered an environment of revenge and deliberate killings, targeting former military personnel, journalists, prominent figures, and local influential individuals, under various pretexts.
However, a number of human rights organizations have expressed concerns about the increase in mysterious killings during the Taliban’s two-year rule. Recently, the “Afghan Witness” group based in the UK released a report stating that 112 former military personnel have been assassinated by unknown individuals in the past two years.
Similarly, “Rawadari”, a human rights organization has reported that during the first six months of this year, at least 342 individuals have been assassinated by the Taliban and unidentified individuals, including women and children.
Furthermore, the human rights watchdog stated in a press release that the Taliban’s retaliatory killings in Afghanistan remain ongoing. Patricia Gossman, the associate director for the Asia division of the organization, emphasized that the Taliban persist in their practices of revenge killings and forced disappearances of former military personnel.
It’s important to note that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in its recent report has documented 800 cases of human rights violations by the Taliban. According to the report, the Taliban are responsible for extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture, and mistreatment of former security forces and officials of the previous government.
