Murtaza Karimi, a teenager who was wounded during the Taliban’s crackdown on protests in Herat last week has died from his injuries, local sources said on Tuesday, raising the death toll from the demonstration that followed the detention of dozens of women in the city.
Karimi was wounded in Taliban shooting during protest in Jebrail area, northwest of Herat City on June 9.
According to one source familiar with the case, Karimi was shot in the leg and suffered severe blood loss. The source alleged that several private clinics in Herat declined to treat him because of fears of repercussions from Taliban.
The source said Karimi was later taken to a government hospital, where he was eventually admitted after delays. By that time, he had lost a significant amount of blood and suffered serious complications, including kidney failure, according to the source.
Taliban have not commented publicly on the matter.
Karimi is expected to be buried Tuesday in a public cemetery in the Kamar Kalagh area on the outskirts of Herat.
Local sources said Taliban have deployed additional security forces to the Jebrail neighborhood and surrounding areas amid concerns that the funeral could draw large crowds and trigger fresh protests.
The reported death comes days after protests broke out in Herat following the detention of women and girls by officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice over alleged dress-code violations.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has confirmed that at least 30 women were detained in Herat and said that at least one teenage boy was killed and several others injured when Taliban forces dispersed protesters. UNAMA has also said it is investigating reports of additional casualties linked to the unrest.
Human Rights Watch, UN human rights experts and UN Women have condemned the crackdown and expressed concern over reports that security forces used force against demonstrators.
Residents have told Amu TV that Taliban patrols and checkpoints have increased across Herat since the protests, particularly in predominantly Hazara neighborhoods.
