RASC News Agency: Women’s rights activists in Baghlan province have urgently appealed to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to intervene and prevent the transfer of Qadriya, a female detainee and survivor of domestic violence, to her father a man who had previously called for her death. In an official letter submitted to the UNAMA office in Kabul on Saturday, the activists implored the international body to mobilize all available resources to safeguard Qadriya’s life and facilitate her relocation to a secure environment. They emphasized the imminent danger she faces and the urgent need for international protection.
Local sources report that the Taliban proceeded with Qadriya’s handover to her father, despite a video message she recorded from inside a Taliban prison warning that returning her to her family would place her life in grave danger and likely result in her death. The activists cited an audio recording obtained from within the prison, in which Qadriya, her voice filled with fear and despair, pleads for help from human rights defenders. She recounts previous instances of torture inflicted by her father the very man who had once demanded she be stoned to death.
In the video, Qadriya expresses a clear preference to remain in Taliban custody rather than return to her father’s home, unless she is guaranteed safe and independent shelter. Her words reflect the depth of her fear and the severity of the threats she faces. Activists in Baghlan stressed that the Taliban agreed to release Qadriya under her father’s guarantee, despite his past calls for her execution. They urged UNAMA to take immediate and decisive measures to prevent an imminent tragedy.
The letter notes, “On July 27, 2023, the Taliban’s local authorities in Baghlan announced that two individuals, Qadriya and Atiq, would be publicly stoned for alleged illicit relations.” This statement underscores the Taliban’s continued campaign of gender-based persecution and the absence of legal or institutional safeguards for women subjected to domestic and societal violence.
Activists have called on UNAMA and other international organizations to swiftly address this escalating crisis and take urgent action to prevent a looming humanitarian disaster. They underscored that Qadriya’s life is at stake, and only immediate international intervention can ensure her survival.
