RASC News Agency: Reports from Herat province in western Afghanistan indicate that the Taliban court has issued judicial rulings against a woman 15 times. A news source in Herat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told RASC News Agency on Wednesday, May 15th, that the Taliban court has issued 15 separate rulings against a woman accused of murdering her husband.
Courts are generally not permitted to issue more than three rulings against a defendant. The source added that despite the 15 rulings, the woman remains imprisoned by the Taliban. According to the source, this unprecedented action by the Taliban court has astonished many in the community. Another source, also requesting anonymity, mentioned that the Taliban are not necessarily seeking judicial verdicts but are more focused on extracting confessions from the accused.
The source lamented that the media in Taliban-controlled areas is restricted, limiting the ability to report on such unique cases from within the Taliban’s administrative and judicial practices. The source further commented that the Taliban’s oppression is particularly severe towards women, aiming to undermine their societal position and propagate a culture of misogyny within families.
According to the source, most women are currently in a dire situation, and women’s rights organizations must take immediate action to address their problems. Asef Farooqi, a civil activist in western Afghanistan, confirmed that the Taliban are inflicting severe oppression on women.
Farooqi stated that the presence of the Taliban has had the most detrimental impact on women compared to other groups in society. He added that a significant number of women in Herat province are living in uncertainty, with the Taliban being the primary cause.
Farooqi emphasized that Afghanistan will only see considerable growth and progress when women emerge from their current plight and are accorded a respectable status, thereby addressing the nation’s myriad challenges.
Attempts to obtain comments from Taliban officials in Herat regarding this report were unsuccessful. It is important to note that since the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan, they have imposed numerous restrictions, including closing schools and universities for women, among many other obstacles, to enforce their objectives.
