KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A woman was beaten to death by her husband in Afghanistan’s northern Samangan province, local Taliban authorities said, amid a surge in domestic violence and a lack of protection for women under Taliban rule.
The incident took place in Hazrat Sultan district on Sunday afternoon, November 1. The woman died from a head injury after being struck with a wooden stick, Hashmatullah Rahmani, a spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Samangan, said.
Rahmani added that the woman’s husband had been arrested on suspicion of murder and that an investigation was underway. He identified family disputes as the motive behind the killing but did not provide further details.
Domestic violence is regarded as one of the main forms of violence against women in Afghanistan. Rights groups say the problem has intensified since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Restrictions on women and girls, the closure of support centers and the dismantling of earlier legal protections have left many victims with limited access to assistance and justice.
Since taking control of the country, the Taliban have dissolved organisations that previously provided support and shelter to women experiencing violence. The authorities have also introduced regulations that rights groups say have weakened protections for women and made it harder for victims to seek legal remedies.
Under the Taliban’s Criminal Procedure Code for Courts, domestic violence is treated as a criminal offence only when it results in a broken bone or visible injuries.
Another measure, known as the “Regulation on Separation of Spouses,” has also drawn criticism from rights groups, which say it normalizes child marriage and makes it more difficult for women to leave abusive marriages.
