By Mohammad
The death of a 19-year-old tailor in Bamyan province after being detained by the Taliban has become a mystery that the de facto authorities refused to investigate and her family has refused to discuss.
This story explores what is known and what is still unclear of the details surrounding Tahira’s death, gathered through the accounts of multiple local sources who spoke to Rukhshana Media on condition of anonymity for fear of the Taliban.
The sequence of events
Tahira was in the ninth grade in 2021 when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan and banned girls from high school. After these restrictions continued with no sign of relenting, she opened a tailoring shop in Bamyan’s Punjab market with her two sisters, one older and one younger.
They would regularly travel to and from their home for work, and sometimes they would travel alone as was customary for women in Bamyan.
On July 13, Tahira was making this regular trip from the shop in Punjab’s Qala-e-Kata area to her home in Tagab-e-Barg area.
Around 5.30pm, she was stopped by a Talib fighter known as Ahmad Shah, and according to some sources, forced into a police vehicle.
A source reported that Ahmad Shah had previously visited Tahira’s home to propose marriage, but her family had rejected his offer.
In written statements published in the media, Tahira stated that the police vehicle had only one occupant, Ahmad Shah, who is said to originally be from Ghor province and is stationed at a Taliban base near the Punjab market.
According to some sources, Tahira was held on the first night of her detention at the home of a female police officer affiliated with the Taliban in the center of Punjab district.
The following day on July 14, by all accounts, Tahira was interrogated at the Taliban’s police station in the Punjab district.
According to sources, Tahira’s father Awaz filed a complaint that the Taliban had detained his daughter arbitrarily. This complaint was sent to the Taliban governor’s office in Bamyan’s capital. In his complaint, Awaz accused Ahmad Shah of kidnapping his daughter.
Subsequently, the Taliban governor Abdullah Sarhadi requested Tahira and her case to be brought to the provincial capital.
Tahira was transferred to the Bamyan provincial center after being held for four days in Punjab. She remained in detention in the provincial center for another four days before being released.
There is no precise information about what happened to Tahira during the eight days in total that she was detained.
She was released on Sunday July 21 and returned to her home in Tagab-e-Barg.
But less than a week later, by the afternoon of July 27, sources say news spread in the village that Tahira had taken her own life.
Conflicting accounts of what unfolded
Some sources have suggested that both Ahmad Shah and Tahira were detained by Taliban’s intelligence forces in connection with the incident on July 13.
The Taliban’s spokesperson for the Bamyan governor Saboor Saighani confirmed to Rukhshana Media that Ahmad Shah has been dismissed from his position and is currently in custody.
He said that Tahira’s death was ruled a suicide and that her family has not made any accusations against anyone.
Sources reported that Tahira appeared to have died by hanging in the stable of her father’s house. But according to one source, her death appeared to be suspicious with marks on her neck that did not resemble those that would be inflicted by hanging.
A source said that local elders immediately contacted the Taliban’s intelligence to investigate. A team of the agency’s forces arrived in the village and took photographs of the area but did not make further efforts to ascertain the cause of Tahira’s death.
The source said the family’s initial plan was to send Tahira’s body to the forensic department in Kabul for an autopsy, but the Taliban would not allow it.
The Taliban’s governor in Bamyan allegedly ordered an immediate burial, and Tahira was buried around 7:00pm on the same day.
Multiple sources interviewed by Rukhshana Media claim it is unclear whether Tahira ended her own life. They argued that evidence, such as the marks on her neck, suggest alternative possibilities.
On the other hand, no thorough investigation into Tahira’s death was conducted, and her body was buried without a forensic examination, so these claims remain speculation. Nor is it clear who, if anyone, might have killed Tahira.
In response to ongoing allegations of a cover up, the Taliban spokesperson said: “Her body was buried in the presence of Punjab religious scholars, and there was no interference from the government regarding the family or the body.”
Another source said that the Taliban’s Bamyan governor intervened in the case, threatened Tahira’s father after his complaint against Ahmad Shah, and detained him for one day.
The spokesperson for the Taliban governor did not respond to Rukhshana Media’s question about why Tahira’s father was held in detention for a night.
Mr Saighani said that Tahira was released based on a court order and handed over to her family.
However, he accused Tahira of having had an illicit relationship with Ahmad Shah.
“According to evidence, she had previously been involved in an illicit relationship with someone and willingly got into the vehicle. After being pursued by the security forces, both were detained and transferred to the center for further investigation,” he said.
Another source said that the terms of Tahir’s release from the Taliban governor required her to close her tailoring shop and to not travel to the market or locally without a male chaperone.
Tahira was only released after being threatened and being forced to sign a letter stating these commitments, the source said.
But after her release, Tahira’s mental and emotional state had severely deteriorated.
Tahira’s family has remained silent about the circumstances and cause of her death.
Reports of deaths following Taliban detention
The story of Tahira’s detention and the alleged mistreatment she faced during her time in detention is similar to those faced by many families and women in Afghanistan.
Sources said the Taliban forces have a military base in the Telgraf area, which is situated close to the residential homes near the Punjab district market. Around 200 troops are stationed at this base and sources said they frequently engage in the harassment and mistreatment of women and girls.
The harassment is such that most woman and girls do not dare to go to the market alone, even for essential tasks or items, sources said.
However, Mr Saighani said that the people have no complaints about the Taliban presence in their residential areas, as it is intended for the safety of the public.
“It is important to note that the Bamyan governor personally monitors and controls the security situation in the center and all districts of Bamyan continuously. No responsible or irresponsible individual is allowed to disrupt public order,” he said.
While Tahira’s death remains a mystery, there are increasing reports of girls and women resorting to suicide after being freed from Taliban captivity.
Last year, a female protester in Kunduz province ended her life after being released from Taliban custody.
There have also been instances of honour killings by families of girls who return from detention after reports of rape by Taliban while in detention.
Rukhshana Media reported on at least one case of a woman whose rape while in detention by a group of Taliban was filmed and sent to her after her release in an attempt to silence her. They threatened to publish the video if she protested against the group again.
