Last month, mother-of-two Shakila set off from her village in central Afghanistan for the 30-minute trip to the local courthouse to collect the ruling in her divorce case.
But Shakila never made it there; she was ambushed en route and shot dead.
A relative told Rukhshana Media the gunman was Shakila’s husband who had recently returned from the United States where he had been living.
“Halfway there, (he) was hiding behind a rock. He fired three bullets into Shakila’s right eye,” said the relative, who asked to remain anonymous.
The shooting was witnessed by Shakila’s brother who was accompanying her to the courthouse, the source said.
Photos sent to Rukhshana Media show Shakila’s body lying in the road following her murder on August 26, and close-ups of her injuries.
Police arrested the husband shortly afterwards and he remains in detention, according to the source.
Rukhshana Media was unable to speak to local Taliban officials or the husband’s family.
Shakila, 27, had been married for nine years and had two sons aged five and seven. But earlier this year she filed for divorce at the Taliban court in Miramor district in Daykundi province, saying her husband had beaten her and threatened her with a gun.
Her relative said the husband’s family had also repeatedly threatened to kill Shakila and members of her family.
In her divorce petition, seen by Rukhshana Media, Shakila said: “(My husband) returned from America after several years … He threatened me with a gun and hit me all over my body.”
Shakila stated she was seeking the return of her personal belongings from her husband’s family and $12,000 in payment of her mahr – a gift that a man makes or promises to his bride as part of their marriage contract in Islamic law.
Her relative said Shakila had gone to court the day before her murder, expecting the divorce to be settled then. However, her father-in-law had requested another day to consult others on the matter, which the court had agreed to.
