Warlords gang-rape a woman in Badakhshan

Brig. Sayed Habib Saeedkhili: "Drug-trafficker Mujtaba and his 11 men raped the woman and fled"

A local commander and his 11 men gang-rape a 22-year-old woman in Shahre Buzurg district of the northeastern Badakhshan province on Nov.28.

The crime took place in the Shah Dasht village, by a local warlord called Mujtaba who belongs to Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan led by Burhanuddin Rabbani (now member of the parliament).

People of the village told journalists that they have complained a number of times about brutalities and lawlessness in their village by warlords but police and local officials take no action because these warlords are so powerful and backed by Burhanuddin Rabbani, who himself is based in Badakhshan.

Qari Jehangir, husband of the victim, says the armed men raped his wife and when his 2 children were crying one of them peed in their mouth. The victim had been threatened to death by the commander not to complain.

Brig. Sayed Habib Saeedkhili, the border police chief in Badakhshan confirmed the crime and told to the media that commander Mujtaba and his men are famous drug traffickers who succeeded to flee but his brother, Anayat, has been arrested.

According to Pajhwok Afghan News (Nov.29, 2006): "Zofanoon Natiq, director of the Women Affairs Department of Badakhshan, showed unawareness about the incident. She said no such incident had been occurred in Badakhshan. But the head of the Independent Human Rights Commission at northeast zone, said: 'This is a crime, and will also stimulate anger of the people.' He said weakness of the local authorities was the main reason of repeating such cases in the region."

Crimes against women are on raise across Afghanistan but especially in the Northern Province of Badakhshan which is the stronghold of Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan which has its armed militia and key government posts in the area.

In April 2005, Amina, a 29 year-old woman was publicly stoned to death on the basis of a district court's decision in this province.