Kabul: The trailblazers of women’s rights in Afghanistan, more than 220 female Afghan judges are in hiding due to fear of retribution under Taliban rule. Some former female judges are in hiding in secret locations across Afghanistan, BBC reported.
They had convicted hundreds of men for violence against women, including rape, murder and torture. But just days after the Taliban took control of her city and thousands of convicted criminals were released from prison, the death threats began.
Text messages, voice notes and unknown numbers began bombarding their phone.
When they heard the Taliban had freed all the prisoners from jail, they left their home and everything behind.
In the past 20 years, 270 women have sat as judges in Afghanistan. As some of the most powerful and prominent women in the country, they are known public figures.
According to BBC, at least 220 former female judges are known to currently be in hiding across Afghanistan.
All have received death threats from members of the Taliban whom they previously committed to prison. All have changed their phone number at least once due to receiving death threats. They are all currently living in hiding, moving locations every few days. They all also said their former homes had been visited by members of the Taliban. Their neighbours and friends reported being questioned as to their whereabouts, the report added.
As highly educated women, these judges were previously the main breadwinner for their families. But now, with their salaries stopped and their bank accounts frozen, they have all been reduced to living off hand-outs from their relatives.
