Young Man, Woman Found Beheaded In Afghan South
Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
Publication Date | 23 October 2013 |
Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Young Man, Woman Found Beheaded In Afghan South, 23 October 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/526fae374.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The bodies of a young man and woman, thought to have been lovers, have been found beheaded in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.
Provincial police official Juma Gul Hemmat said on October 23 that the two -- who were thought to be in their early 20s -- were killed late the previous day.
The woman had reportedly eloped with the man.
They were forcibly taken away from a house in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, by armed men who were believed to be the woman's relatives.
But Hemmat accused a local Taliban-linked militant, Haji Torjan, of responsibility for the murders.
Extramarital and premarital relationships are taboo in Afghanistan's conservative Islamic society.
Most marriages in the country are arranged by families, sometimes without consulting the chosen couples.