Taliban pressure to annul 18-year-old girl’s marriage to Shia man; Zahra ends her life

Note: This report contains material about suicide.

On Saturday, August 21, the Taliban’s Office of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat released a Sunni man from the Shalbafan region after several days of detention and pressure; but his release was conditional on the annulment of his 18-year-old daughter’s marriage to a young Shia and Hazara man.

Taj Mohammad, Zahra’s father, was arrested by the Taliban a few days after his daughter’s marriage ceremony to Ali Reza, a pseudonym, a young Shia man. According to information received, Zahra and Ali Reza loved each other and had decided to start a life together.

Taj Mohammad was released from Taliban prison on Saturday morning, but the Office of Virtue officers asked him to annul his daughter’s marriage to Ali Reza. The father initially opposed this demand, but after several days of detention and pressure, he finally agreed to the annulment by the evening of the same day.

Zahra opposed the decision and wanted to continue her life with Ali Reza. According to sources, she stayed up until early morning on Saturday evening and ended her life before dawn, under pressure from the decision.

The incident has once again raised concerns about the Taliban’s restrictions on spouse choice, personal freedoms and pressure on families in Afghanistan.

Kabul Times News has not used the real name of the young Shiite man to protect the privacy of those involved in the incident.