Afghan Woman Stoned To Death For 'Adultery'

An Afghan woman has been stoned to death after being accused of adultery in a remote western province controlled by the Taliban, according to local media.

The video of the stoning in Ghor province came out late on Monday and has been widely discussed on social media in Afghanistan with many people appalled by the scenes.

Governor of the province has attested to the authenticity of the video.

Governor Sima Joyenda told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Afghanistan that the killing took place in the village of Ghalmin.

The stoning occurred around six days ago after the local tribal council found her guilty of having pre-marital sex with her fiancé, officials told DPA agency.

The fiancé was lashed but the 19-year-old woman, named as Rokhshana, was stoned to death.

"The custom and culture of rural Afghanistan is much more strict, girls cannot simply run from home in the hope of a better life," said Maryam Muhammadi, an Afghan youth and women's activist in Kabul.

"It is absurd that the government of Afghanistan lets this happen."

Mustafa Mohseni, police chief in Ghor, said little could be done at this stage.

"The area is controlled by the Taliban," said Mohseni, adding that "the government will follow-up on the incident, once the area comes under our authority".

In the video, the woman is put in a hole with only her head visible and several men surround the hole, throwing stones at her head.

The woman's screams can be heard while the men shout "Allah hu Akbar" meaning "God is Almighty".

Early in September, an Afghan man and a woman received 100 lashes for committing adultery in the same province.

In March, an Afghan woman was killed for allegedly burning the Quran in the capital Kabul, in front of the police, which resulted in a public outcry across the nation.

Source: Aljazeera