By Zahra joya and Shakiba Hakimi
A young woman and a man were stoned to death for alleged adultery in the northeastern province of Badakhshan last week, according to two local sources, and a Taliban official.
The incident happened in Nasi district of Badakhshan on the 15th of February, and the Taliban local officials ordered the public execution of Karima, a housewife, and a man, known as Haji, who was a restaurant owner in the district.
Karima’s relative rejected she had sexual relationship with Haji in a phone interview. He said Karima’s family wasn’t present during the kangaroo court that sentenced her to death. Her husband and children were summoned to witness the brutal stoning.
“It was a horrific incident. We are all scared,” he said from Nasi district. “Karima’s husband and children are in shock.”
Karima and Haji were arrested on Monday night from Karima’s home, Ahmad a local villager who also witnessed the stoning said in a phone interview.
Taliban invited villagers to carry out the stoning after the noon prayer on Tuesday — only twelve hours after the arrests were made. They first stoned Haji to death, then did the same to Karima in Sari Diah village, sources said. Both died after two hours of being hit by rocks. They were buried in two different villages in the Nasi district.
Commander Juma who is the Taliban’s district governor for Nasi district and a district judge ordered the stoning, sources said. Rukhshan media couldn’t reach Juma and the judge for comment, despite several attempts.
The witness said hundreds took part in the stoning. Karima’s husband and children, who were summoned by the Taliban, also witnessed the brutal public execution. Taliban warned villagers not to take photos or videos.
The stoning was first reported by Hashte Subh Daily, a local newspaper, last week.
Karima has five children, aged between 16 and three years old, a relative said.
Both the relative and the witness spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing for their safety.
Under Sharia Law, men and women aren’t allowed to have sexual intercourse outside marriage. Mawlawi Fazel Ahmad, a Taliban official in Badakhshan, said both victims confessed
to adultery.
“A number of Mullahs and the local judge decided to stone the man and the woman to death,” he said.
Ahmad said Taliban intelligence detained Karima and Haji after local villagers informed, they were having sexual intercourse in Karima’s home on Monday night. He added they admitted they had sexual intercourse three times in the past six months.
Ahmad said Haji is originally from Baghlan province and had two wives.
The former government’s penal code considered “long-term imprisonment” for adultery and it had banned public executions such as stoning to death. The Taliban, however, have carried out such executions when they were ruling over Afghanistan in the 1990s, and during their two decades of insurgency.
The relative said Karima was 35 years old, and her husband was 65. They married 17 years ago in Iran. The family returned to the Nasi district seven years ago.
