Police in Afghanistan have arrested a former bodyguard of a female former member of parliament who was shot dead. The Taliban have made this known. The bodyguard would have confessed to the murder.
Gunmen killed Mursal Nabizada (32) and a guard in an attack on her home in mid-January. She was a member of parliament during the previous government, which was still supported by foreign countries.
Nabizada sat in parliament until the Taliban took power after US-led forces withdrew from the country. Many politicians fled the country when the Taliban regained control in August 2021.
Although the bodyguard has confessed, a motive for the act is not yet clear. The police, led by the Taliban, said in a statement that they are investigating the matter further.
The case raises further concerns about the safety of women in the country. Since the Taliban regained power, women’s rights have been increasingly restricted. For example, women and girls are hardly allowed to work or go to school.
Iran and China are calling for women’s rights
Neighboring countries Iran and China have called on the regime to end restrictions on women. The two countries reached a joint statement at the end of a visit by Iranian President Raisi to Beijing.
The two countries call on Afghanistan to end “all discriminatory measures against women, ethnic minorities and other religions”. They call for “an inclusive government in which all ethnic and political groups participate effectively”.
In addition, Iran and China say that the US and its NATO allies are responsible for the current situation in Afghanistan.
It is remarkable that the call for women’s rights in Afghanistan comes, among others, from the Shia regime in Iran. There were months of protests in that country after the violent death of Mahsa Amini. She was arrested by the moral police for not wearing her headscarf properly. She died in custody.
At least four men have been executed since the demonstrations began in September. All four were sentenced to death in internationally criticized trials that lasted short and took place behind closed doors.
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