KABUL – A young woman has been strangled to death by her cousin in northern Afghanistan’s Faryab province, local sources confirmed.
The incident took place on Wednesday in Yangi Qala village of Khwaja Sabz Posh district.
According to multiple sources familiar with the case, the woman was killed in an orchard by her paternal cousin, whom she was reportedly in love with.
Her parents had opposed the relationship and instead arranged her marriage to another man. The wedding was scheduled to take place within days.
Taliban authorities have reportedly arrested the cousin on suspicion of murder, but local officials have not yet commented on the case.
Violence against women and girls in Afghanistan has sharply escalated since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Many incidents stem from domestic abuse, forced marriages, or family disputes, and rarely result in accountability.
According to a report by Afghan Witness, between January 2022 and June 2024, at least 700 documented cases involving 840 women and girls were recorded as victims of gender-based violence. These included cases of femicide, physical abuse, sexual assault, arbitrary arrests, torture, and enforced disappearances.
The report warned that Afghan women face heightened risks of violence both in private and public spaces due to the Taliban’s repressive policies.
In addition, gendered hate speech, disinformation, and online harassment have increasingly limited their access to digital platforms and participation in public life.
