KABUL, Afghanistan — A joint report by The Guardian and Rukhshana Media claims that a female Afghan human rights activist has alleged she was gang-raped in a Taliban prison.
According to the report, the Taliban filmed the assault and later sent the video to the victim, warning her to remain silent or face public exposure of the footage.
The Guardian and Rukhshana Media stated they had seen the video, which shows the woman being raped and tortured by armed men in a Taliban prison.
While there have been previous reports of sexual violence against women and girls in Taliban prisons, this is the first known instance of such an assault being recorded on video.
The report quotes the victim as saying, “The film was recorded on a phone and later sent to me as a threat. If I continue my critical activities against the Taliban regime, the video will be shared.”
In the video, the woman is reportedly forced to undress and is repeatedly assaulted by two men. Despite her efforts to cover her face with her hands, one of the Taliban members forces her to look at the camera.
The woman stated she was detained for participating in an anti-Taliban protest. Even after her release and subsequent escape from the country, the Taliban sent her the video, warning her not to participate in any protests abroad, the report said.
The report details that the woman was also beaten and verbally abused during the assault.
In the nearly three years since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, dozens of female protesters have been arrested across various parts of the country, especially in Kabul.
