KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A young man in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, fatally stabbed his parents before taking his own life, Taliban police officials have confirmed.
The incident took place on Friday night in Jalalabad, the provincial capital, according to Sayed Tayeb Hamad, spokesperson for the Taliban police command.
The man, identified as Ziaullah, was a university graduate who had been struggling with mental illness in recent years.
According to local sources, after graduating, the young man traveled illegally to Iran because of limited job opportunities at home. He was recently deported from Iran after enduring severe torture by Iranian police, which worsened his mental health problems.
Nearly four years into Taliban rule, Afghanistan is facing a deepening mental health crisis, with alarming rates of psychological distress and suicidal thoughts, especially among young men and women. A 2023 Gallup study revealed that 98% of Afghans experience mental health issues.
Investigations by Etilaatroz and KabulNow found at least 213 suicides in Afghanistan in 2023, with nearly 80% of cases involving people under 20. However, the true figures are likely higher because many cases go unreported due to Taliban media restrictions and the stigma around mental health and suicide.
