BBC Persian(Translated by RAWA), July 30, 2012
Family of Afghan girl raped and killed by local strongmen demands justice
Mother of the victim holds a photo of her daughter's blood-soaked dead body. She says their efforts for seeking justice hasn't bore any result. (Photo: BBC Persian)
A year after the rape and murder of a young girl in northern Afghanistan, her family claims the perpetrators of these crimes threaten them and have burnt down their home.
The parents of the girl have fled from their home in Rostaq district of Takhar province, along with seven of their children and come to Kabul to follow the case of their daughter.
They say their daughter was raped by Qazi Kabir Marzban’s (presently member of the parliament and a powerful man in Takhar province) nephew a year back. To resolve all the disputes arising from her rape, the girl agreed to marry her rapist, but she was killed some time after their wedding. The incident took place in Rostaq of Takhar province.
Government officials in Kabul say they had at the time ordered the local officials to follow the case, but the girl’s family members say the case hasn’t been investigated and they have come to Kabul to complain to the government and non-government bodies.
The girl’s mother sobbed, “I went to Hamid Karzai, he didn’t heard me. I appealed to Marshal Fahim, the Interior Ministry and the parliament, but on one heard me. I want the prosecution of my daughter’s murderer. I will not rest until the rapists and murderer of my daughter are not prosecuted.”
The father of the girl says that in the past year, a son and daughter of his had been imprisoned, without committing any crime, under the pressure from strongmen of their area.
According to her family and people of the area, her whole body was sprayed with 33 bullets. (Photo: TOLOnews.com)
The mother said, “They (the local strongmen) burned my home, jailed my son and beat me badly. They told me to take 10,000 US Dollars and be quiet. I don’t want money. I want justice.”
Qazi Kabir Marzban, member of the Afghan parliament whose relatives are accused of raping the girl, denied the family’s claims that they are under pressure in a call to BBC.
Members of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission say they have received the official complaint from this family but because the case is very complicated, further investigation is required.
The case of the rape and murder of this girl a year back received attention from human rights bodies after BBC’s report.
A number of Rostaq district residents had protested against this incident in a demonstration at the time.
The stark similarity between this case and tens of other cases of rape in Afghanistan is the lack of legal action against and punishment for the rapists.
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