A number of local journalists in Kandahar have claimed that the Taliban used excessive force against journalists during a protest of the transfer of the body of a woman who was “killed the previous day”.
Some reporters in Kandahar told VOA that Taliban militants had killed the woman and wounded two others in the Charso area of Kandahar.
Janan, the son of the slain woman, told local reporters that his mother and two siblings had been shopping for a wedding in the bazaar, were sitting in a rickshaw and were in a hurry to get home as soon as possible. “There, the Taliban told him to stop and then opened fire on them.”
According to local journalists, family members of the slain woman transferred her body from Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar to the governor’s office on Sunday, February 20, The Taliban did not allow reporters to cover the incident, or to take videos or photos of them.
The head doctor of Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar, Dr. Nemat, confirmed to local media that the body of a woman and two injured people were taken to the hospital yesterday, adding that the injured have been discharged from the hospital.
Some journalists claimed that the Taliban had threatened them with dire consequences if they reported the incident.
Unconfirmed reports say the Taliban also detained one or two journalists, harassed them, confiscated their equipment and then released them. A number of Kandahar journalists have protested on social media, saying they have been denied access to information in Kandahar. They call it a violation of freedom of expression and the media and call for its prevention.
Journalists say Taliban officials in Kandahar have told the family of the “slain woman that the killer has been arrested and the case will be investigated.” But no further details were given.
Taliban officials in Kandahar have not yet commented on the incident.
