A young Afghan woman said in a video posted on social media that a senior Taliban leader beat her, raped her and forcibly married her. Accusations denied by the member of the fundamentalist Islamist regime.
The 25-year-old woman, who goes by the simple name Elaha, explains that she was sexually assaulted by Saeed Khosty, a former Home Office spokesman. The latter denied the assault charges and said that he divorced Elaha after a “consensual marriage”.
The accusations and their denials are spread and shared thousands of times on social media in Afghanistan, where it is rare for these personal details to be broadcast publicly.
“They beat me. They raped me”
In the video posted Tuesday, Elaha, who calls herself a medical student at Kabul University, tearfully recounts the ordeal she lived through for several months.
“They beat me. I’ve been raped. Not know what to do. She filmed me and threatened to publish the video, ”says the young woman.
Elaha, who claims to be the daughter of a former Afghan general, says she tried to flee but was caught at the Torkham post on the Pakistani border, from where she was taken to a Kabul prison. She adds that she was later asked to apologize to the senior Taliban leader and that she was beaten when she refused to do so.
“He had some problems with his beliefs and his faith”
It is unknown where Elaha posted this video from and where she is currently. She “she had some issues regarding her beliefs and her faith. I tried to correct it through discussions and advice, but it didn’t work,” the senior Taliban official defended himself in a statement posted on Twitter.
“I didn’t hit her, but using my Islamic rights, I divorced her. I’m sorry for marrying her in haste,” he continued.
He added that the young woman was free to file a complaint against him. “If she is proven guilty, the court can punish me. If she doesn’t believe in the courts of the Islamic Emirate, then I am willing to go to any court she wants,” said Saeed Khosty.
“I apologize to the mujahideen (fighters) of the Islamic Emirate and the Afghan nation. May God forgive me,” Khosty added.
The rights of women in danger
After the video surfaced, the hashtag #justiceforElaha went viral on social media. Saeed Khosty has also received support from some of the Taliban, including on social media.
Last year, the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, issued an executive order ordering authorities to crack down on those who “force women into marriage through coercion or pressure.”
The difficulties faced by women have only increased since the Taliban returned to power last year. Islamic fundamentalists have closed girls’ secondary schools in many provinces and barred women from many government posts. They also ordered women to fully cover themselves in public, ideally with a burqa.
Source: BFM TV
