Taliban 'set Afghan woman on fire for bad cooking'

Kabul, August 21

Afghan women are being shipped into neighbouring countries in coffins and used as sex slaves, according to a former judge.

Najla Ayoubi, who lives in the US after "fleeing for my life" from the Taliban, said she has heard horrific examples of violence against women since the militants took control of her homeland on August 15, reports metro.co.uk.

She said one woman was "put on fire because she was accused of bad cooking for Taliban fighters" in the north of the country.

Other young women are being forced into marriage and sexually abused.

The lawyer told Sky News: "They are forcing people to give them food and cook them food. Also, there are so many young women in the past few weeks being shipped into neighbouring countries in coffins to be used as sex slaves.

"They also force families to marry their young daughters to Taliban fighters. I don't see where is the promise that they think women should be going to work, when we are seeing all of these atrocities." The Taliban have said they will respect women's rights and allow them to work and be educated.

She said there was "no way to believe" assurances that the Taliban wanted to form an inclusive government, saying she knew of one female TV anchor who was told to go home.

She said many women's activists are now hiding and in fear of their lives and their loved one's lives, but there is "no way out of the situation".

The situation is looking increasingly desperate as more reports emerge of human rights atrocities, particularly against women.

Just days ago, a woman was said to have been gunned down in the street for not wearing a burqa.

Some women are so desperate they were filmed trying to pass their babies over barbed wire at Kabul airport, where foreign troops are evacuating their citizens and local allies. — IANS

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