Taliban Flogs and Executes Pregnant Widow

A pregnant widow was publicly flogged 200 times before being executed in the Qades district in the Badghis Province of western Afghanistan on Sunday. Agence France Presse reports that Taliban commander Mohammad Yousuf executed Bibi Sanubar by shooting her in the head and chest. According to the Daily Mail, Sanubar was accused of adultery after village elders reported her pregnancy to the Taliban.

Sanubar's body was dumped in a government controlled area. Though the Taliban deny any involvement, CNN reports that her execution was confirmed by Hashim Habibi, district governor of Qades. Mohammad Nasir Nazaari, who leads Badghis' provincial council, also added that the district is controlled by the Taliban.

Sima Samar, who leads Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, "This is a clear violation of human rights. Even if she really was accused of such an act, she should have been brought to court. We have courts and we could have dealt with her legally," Samar says. "Not everyone is a judge. A commander cannot perform the role of a judge."

The execution of Bibi Sanubar is one of many recent murders attributed to Taliban. Other recent incidents include a woman who worked at a non-profit who was murdered while leaving work in April, a couple who were shot outside of a mosque last year after being accused of eloping, and a Kandahar provincial council member and women's rights activist who was murdered outside of her home last year. During the Taliban's rule from 1996 to 2001, public executions and amputations were commonplace.

Media Resources: Agence France Presse 8/9/10; Daily Mail 8/10/10; CNN 8/9/10; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 8/10/10

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