The Taliban fighters beat a former female journalist in eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday, July 21, sources said.
Salgay Ehsaas, who worked as a presenter at Enikass radio and television network before the Taliban’s return to power, told Rukhshana Media in an audio message that the incident happened two days ago. She said four armed men, who introduced themselves as Taliban members, assaulted her when she was heading home from work. She was beaten until she fell unconscious. She was then taken to the hospital by a local resident.
Enikaas was closed following the fall of the former government, and Salgay found another job as a nurse at a local clinic. She was a graduate of nursing studies.
Ehsass said her family was warned to stop her from working outside several times, but she continued as a nurse, defying the threats.
Another source, who preferred not to be named due to security reasons, said Ehsaas’s uncle and father warned her not to go to work around two weeks ago.
She said the Taliban fighters started firing warning shots at Ehsaas after she didn’t hear when they told her to stop because she had an earphone in her ears. The men attacked her when she stopped, assaulting her with a rifle butt.
Ehsaas said her smartphone was taken by the assailants. She criticized the Taliban’s government for not being attacked.
In another video, which was posted on a Taliban Facebook page on Saturday, Ehsaas said unknown armed men attacked her, retracting her earlier comments that the attackers were Taliban fighters.
Rukhshana Media couldn’t reach the Taliban for comment. A Nangarhar-based journalist said the Taliban have rejected their fighters’ involvement.
