17-year-old girl commits suicide due to forced marriage with a Taliban member in Herat
Local sources from Herat province have reported to IntelMedium that a teenage girl named Mahdiya hanged herself and ended her life in the Azadi Jebreel area of Herat.
According to the sources, this incident occurred on Monday morning, March 24th, at her home. Mahdiya, the 17-year-old daughter of a Shia cleric, was reportedly forced into marriage with a member of the Taliban.
The sources claim that Mahdiya’s father intended to marry her off to a Taliban member, but she refused to accept this forced marriage. Mahdiya’s mother was also against this marriage, resulting in severe family conflicts.
One source revealed that Mahdiya’s father had been detained by Taliban intelligence some time ago, but the reason behind his insistence on her marriage to a Taliban member remains unclear.
However, there is another narrative describing Mahdiya’s death as suspicious and denying the forced marriage angle.
This source added that Mahdiya’s father had close relations with the Taliban, but the exact reason for her suicide is still unknown, and no official statement has been made so far.
Forced marriages and domestic violence are recognized as leading causes of suicides among women and girls in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s takeover, these issues have worsened due to severe restrictions on women’s education and employment.
While the Taliban claim to have prevented hundreds of forced marriages, this assertion contradicts the reality faced by Afghan society.