Married Afghan woman stoned to death by Taliban for eloping with

Taliban militants have stoned to dead a woman on charge of eloping and adultery in the western Ghor province, a local television channel aired Tuesday.

Footage of the stoning which broadcast by Tolo here indicates that scores of turbaned and bearded men brutally throwing stones at the powerless woman in an isolated area till her death.

Local authorities confirmed the footage, which is playing on Afghan media and is going viral on Facebook.

Provincial Governor Seema Joyenda – one of only two female governors in Afghanistan – said Rokhshana’s family had arranged for her to be married against her will.

Joyenda claimed that Rokhsahana was stoned by a gathering of “Taliban, local religious leaders and armed warlords”. Her 23-year-old fiance, named as Mohammad Gul, was repeatedly lashed.

The killing took place about a week ago in a Taliban-controlled area just outside Firozkoh, the capital of central Ghor province, officials said, confirming the video which was sourced and released by global broadcaster Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

“Women in general have problems all over the country”.

Officials named the victim as Rokhsahana, aged between 19 and 21.

The man was let off with a lashing, Joyenda s spokesman said.

“This is the first incident in this area, but it will not be the last”.

Joyenda strongly condemned the incident and called on the Afghan government to take strict measures to bring the perpetrators to justice, as civil society and women’s rights activists demanded action.

The Taliban have not yet commented on the stoning. The man she was with was punished in similar way.

In 2013, the nation’s government was forced to distance itself from a leaked draft law to reintroduce public stoning as a punishment for adultery.

Those found guilty of stoning someone to death is likely to face a long prison term under Afghan law.

It was relatively common in Afghanistan during the Taliban rule from 1996-2001.