Afghanistan The Taliban tied the brother’s hands to the ceiling and whipped until he vomited blood – Najia married to protect himself and his family, but the future in Afghanistan looks bleak

Najia celebrated her wedding day on August 30th. The Taliban had seized power 15 days earlier. The event was rustic.

“It took five minutes. I, my future husband and mullah were there [islamin uskonoppinut] as well as two witnesses on my husband’s side, ”Najia says by phone from Afghanistan.

HS only gives the first name of the interviewee for security reasons.

Najia had met her husband some time ago, both of whom were studying at a university in India. Najia studied journalism and her future husband in administrative sciences.

When he returned to Afghanistan, the man would have wanted to marry her. Najia refused. Getting married would have meant staying home. More important to Najia was to do the job she loved.

HS follows the life of an Afghan Najia for a year. The last time Najia was interviewed was the day before Kabul was captured.

Read more: As the Taliban progressed, Najia realized that her profession was in danger of death – with the help of a cover story, she fled her hometown to Kabul for 26 hours.

He had fled to Kabul from his hometown of Faizabad because it had been captured by the Taliban. Najia then believed he would be safe in the country’s capital.

As Sunday morning dawned, Taliban forces were already knocking on the gates of Kabul.

Najia fled again, now to a shelter where she hid for the next two months with 25 other female journalists.

Before With the Taliban coming to power, Najia ran his own radio station in his hometown of Faizabad. The channel employed his entire family.

Due to the popularity of the radio channel, Najia was a well-known person in his province.

The programs dealt with all sorts of everyday topics and issues that were important to women in particular, which is why Najia was already receiving threats from extremists.

Afghanistan During the 20 years of reconstruction, much was invested in improving the rights of women and girls. The new constitution guaranteed equality between women and men, and numerous development projects sought to support the transition to a more egalitarian society.

For many women, especially in big cities, the time of reconstruction meant the opportunity to study and work. They became financially independent, and many even supported their own families.

In a rather male-dominated society, however, attitudes dragged on. Not all men accepted their wives working outside the home or working with other men.

For many women, it meant choosing between starting a family and doing work.

Najia hadn’t wanted to get married before because she was afraid the husband wouldn’t let her continue working.

“I had a plan for me to study more, invest in my radio station, and possibly marry after that if I find someone I like.”

Situation changed abruptly after the Taliban came to power. Rumors circulated that Taliban members were looking for unmarried young women and forcing them to marry them.

“I was scared, and I called my old classmate that I was now ready to marry her.”

Najia now feels safer.

“If someone knocks on my door, I can show my marriage certificate and wedding photo, and no one can hurt me,” Najia says.

He is especially happy for his family because they no longer have to worry about him.

In Afghan culture, the honor of families is tied to how well they are able to take care of their daughters. When a daughter marries, responsibility and care are transferred to the husband and the woman becomes part of the honor of the husband’s family.

Najia now lives in a rental apartment in the center of Kabul with her husband, brothers and sister.

They all lost their jobs when the new administration came to power.

Winter is cold and they have a hard time getting food for every meal.

Najia feels safer in the country’s capital than in Faizabad, where everyone knows her. Yet she often visits her hometown to take care of her mother, who needs help in her daily life.

The journey to Faizabad over the snow-capped mountains takes 20 hours one way.

“On the way, the Taliban usually stop the bus and make sure all the women have a brother or husband with them.”

In early January, the new administration announced that women should no longer travel alone more than 72 kilometers from their homes. Now Najiak also always travels with her brother or husband.

The Taliban after capturing Faizabad in August, they also took over Najia radio station. Now it’s empty.

Najia can’t help but visit her radio station when she’s in her hometown. Often he sneaks in secretly.

Najia introduces her office via video call.

“This was my desk, my chair, my radio and my microphone. I was here for eight years at work, and now the Taliban has ruined everything. ”

In October Najia sends photos to my Whatsapp number. There are deep bruises on the man’s back and shoulders.

Even then, Najia had been secretly visiting her radio station, her brother with her.

Three Taliban soldiers had arrived to check who they were and what they were doing there.

“My brother was taken out and beaten in front of my eyes,” Najia says.

When he tried to intervene, they took his brother with them.

The violence had continued indoors. The brother was bound to hang from the ceiling and was beaten with a whip.

The brother vomited blood the next time Najia saw him that night.

HS has not been able to confirm the course of events from other sources.

Najia believes the brother was beaten because of him.

“They’re doing me nothing, but they’re putting pressure on my family, my father, and my brothers, trying to silence me like that.”

Najia still doesn’t keep quiet. She is still active on social media and has given interviews to local media in which she has advocated for women’s rights.

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“In Faizabad, the Taliban can punish anyone, anywhere.”

Najian according to the Taliban, behaves very differently in Kabul than in his old hometown.

“In Faizabad, the Taliban can punish anyone, anywhere. All you have to do is play music. ”

The city is small and everyone knows each other. Najia says people are complaining to the Taliban when they want to avenge the differences of years ago.

This is how he believes this has happened to himself. She wants revenge for the fact that she was a successful woman who encouraged women to work and be independent.

According to Najia, ordinary people in Kabul are allowed to be more at ease. There is no violence on the streets, he says.

In the capital, Taliban intimidation is more targeted. Employees, activists and journalists in the former administration are at particular risk.

Najia has also received threats in Kabul. The Taliban authorities have called him and ordered him to remain silent.

Supplier organizations According to the Taliban, 95 percent of women journalists have lost their jobs and 70 percent of media companies have gone out of business since the Taliban came to power.

The new administration has drawn up rules on how and on what matters journalists are allowed to report. It has denied virtually all criticism of the administration.

Those journalists who still dare to continue their work live in constant fear of the consequences of their work.

Najiasta he feels deprived of both his rights and his dreams.

Life with a new husband is difficult. They don’t know each other, and when neither has a job, there is often a quarrel.

He says he is thinking hard about his future in his own country.

“I live in the hope that one day I will get out of Afghanistan somewhere where I can start a peaceful life.”