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| Afghanistan |
| MoI Begins Probe into Afghan Couple Stoning |
| 2011-01-31 |
| [Tolo News] Officials in the Ministry of Interior Affairs Sunday said security forces have begun to search for those responsible in stoning of a newly-married couple in northern Kunduz province. A videotape obtained by media shows how a young couple was stoned to death in northern Afghanistan. Brutal punishment of the couple has caused anger and widespread concern among human rights ... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you... organisations. The young couple was given summary punishment over allegation of having an illegitimate affair. The video shows the couple being stoned to death separately; the woman clad in Burqa and the man with his hands tied behind his back and his eyes covered with a handkerchief. At first the woman is stoned and even rocks bigger than a fist are hurled at her and after a minute she sighs and falls in the pit. While she survives all the stones thrown at her, she is killed with gun shots fired from top. After her, it is her husband's turn and he is also stoned to death in a much more cruel way. She was 25 and married a young man named Khayyam based on mutual consent. Then they beat feet to Pakistain, but after returning they were caught on charges of having an illegitimate affair. Two days after the video was released, Afghan cops launched an operation and took control of the village. "We are trying to know who was behind the incident. Primary information indicated that he has decamped the area," Interior Ministry spokesperson, Zemarai Bashari told a news conference. The village where the stoning took place is said to have been under the Taliban control for a long time. Parts of the country under the control of the Taliban have hugely been the scene of such summary punishments. Afghan analysts accuse the government of having a lenient stance towards criminals. |
| Posted by:Fred |