KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A 20-year-old woman was beaten and strangled to death by her brother in Afghanistan’s central Samangan province, Taliban authorities said, as domestic violence and gender-based killings continue to rise across the country.
Hashmatullah Rahmani, spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Samangan Province, said the killing took place late Thursday night in Aybak, the provincial capital. According to Rahmani, the woman was beaten and then strangled by her brother inside their home.
He did not disclose a motive for the killing but confirmed that the suspect was arrested shortly after the incident and later confessed. The case has been referred to the Taliban’s judicial and legal authorities.
The killing comes amid a wider pattern of violence against women and girls in Afghanistan. Rights groups and experts attribute much of the rise to the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights, the closure of shelters, and the elimination of protections established under the previous government.
All women’s protection centers operating before 2021 have been shut down, severely limiting access to safety and legal support for abuse victims.
According to Afghan Witness, a human rights monitoring initiative, at least 840 cases of violence against women and girls were documented between January 2022 and June 2024, including 332 killings. Experts emphasize that the real figures are likely far higher, as many incidents go unreported due to fear of retaliation, social stigma, and lack of reporting mechanisms.
