Report on the Murder of Bibi Marina: The Story of a Horrific Crime

Sources close to Marina's family claim that she was tortured and abused by the Taliban during her detention and subsequently killed. It is said that the Taliban, to "cover up the traces of this crime," placed her body in a sack, transported it to Paghman district, and dumped it next to the stream.

Marina, who was 23 years old, was a second-semester student in the Computer Science Faculty at Kabul University. When the Taliban closed universities to girls and women, she decided to continue her studies in midwifery at the Farabi Institute in Kabul. She began her studies in this field but was arrested by the Taliban on charges of "improper hijab" and subsequently killed.

On the morning of Wednesday, December 20, 2023, Marina left home with her brother. She intended to go to the university, while her brother was heading to a education center for the Kankor exam preparation. At the Nan-waie station in Dasht-e-Barchi, Marina parted ways with her brother. Minutes later, at 9:30 AM, she and several other women and girls were arrested by Taliban's "Virtue and Vice" agents on the pretext of "improper hijab."

Marina, who didn't have a scheduled internship on Wednesdays, usually returned home earlier. However, that day she was late, causing her family to start worrying. Her brother contacted her classmates and the management of Farabi Institute, but everyone said Marina had been absent that day. Marina's family searched for her for three weeks. They visited the relevant police stations but were unable to find her. Then they made sure that Marina had been arrested by the Taliban's "Virtue and Vice" agents on the pretext of "improper hijab."

A source close to her family, speaking to Zan TV on the condition of anonymity, said, "A girl who was detained with Marina and also arrested from the Dasht-e-Barchi area told Marina's family, when they visited the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, that Marina was held there for a week but was then transferred to another location."

The source added, "After informed that Marina had been transferred to another location, her family visited various Taliban governmental institutions, the old and new Ministry of Interior, Pul-e-Charkhi prison, Badam Bagh prison, the provincial prison, the prison of Directorate 40, the Kabul command, and other detention centers to follow up on her. Unfortunately, they were unable to find Marina."

However, 21 days later, on January 10, 2023, her body was found in a sack near a stream at "Chawk-e-Argandi" in Paghman district, Kabul. Signs of torture, beating, whipping, and the butt of a rifle were visible on her body, and there were also marks of strangulation around her neck.

The source said, "The local representative contacted Marina's family and told them that their daughter might be in a Taliban prison in Paghman district. The representative was aware of the situation and, to prevent the family from panicking, did not directly tell them that their daughter's body had been found."

When Marina's father, mother, and brothers went to Paghman, the Taliban showed them her body. It was said that when Marina's body was found, it was unrecognizable, and her brother identified her by her clothes. Marina's family was shocked upon seeing her body. Her physical condition was extremely dire. The source added, "When Marina's body was found, her family faced a horrific scene. Her face and body were severely blackened, and the marks of strangulation with a cloth were clearly visible around her neck. Her hands and mouth were bound, and her feet were also tied. Her shoes, clothes, and nose were bloodied." The locals found Marina's bag, books, and notebooks at a distance from where her body was discovered.

It has been said that Marina's body was transferred to forensic medicine for examination after its discovery. However, forensic medicine did not provide Marina's family with any details or information about the examination results. The source states, "The only question asked by forensic medicine from Marina's family was whether they knew this girl. Due to shock and profound grief, Marina's parents were unable to respond, so her brother said yes, she is Marina, my sister. Then they asked for their IDs from Marina's father, mother, and brother, made copies of them, and returned them. Finally, Marina's family had their fingerprints taken on a piece of paper and handed over Marina's body to them."

Marina's family transferred her body to the Imam Reza Mosque in Spin Kalay, a locality of Khushal Khan Mina in Kabul, and buried her there in the afternoon of the same day.

Sources have claimed regarding the reason for Marina's torture that "the reason for this torture and horrific violence was that the Taliban had a demand from Marina, which she refused to comply with."

Marina's family, after completing the mourning ceremonies, once again approached the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and Interior of the Taliban to inquire about the reasons and perpetrators of her murder. However, the Taliban did not provide any details to Marina's family and instead threatened them with death in response. As of today, Marina's family has received no response from the Taliban regarding the reasons for her killing, and the motive remains unclear.

Marina's parents did not remain silent in their quest for justice and accountability regarding their daughter's murder. They lodged complaints and protested to all Taliban governmental bodies they had previously approached, but received no response. The Taliban pressured Marina's family to refrain from pursuing the matter and threatened them with death to ensure their silence.

The threats against Marina's family came both via telephone and directly or indirectly from the Taliban. These threats were specifically directed at Marina's parents, urging them to cease their pursuit of Marina's murder case. According to sources, Marina's family did not take the Taliban's threats seriously and strongly demanded justice for Marina. However, one day unexpectedly, the Taliban raided their house while Marina's family was not home. The Taliban approached their neighbors and asked them about the whereabouts of Marina's family.

The Marina family, due to continuous threats from the Taliban and an attack on their home, were forced to flee inside Kabul. Initially, they sought refuge at the homes of friends and relatives in various parts of Kabul city, then stayed temporarily at an airfield area house. However, they were pursued by the Taliban there as well and were compelled to flee from that location too. Ultimately, the Marina family had to escape from Kabul.

On February 9th, the Marina family, consisting of seven members including four children, all under the age of 18 with the youngest being 10 years old, headed towards the Nimruz border. The weather was very cold with snow falling. The Marina family's goal was to reach Iran, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. They were also identified by the Taliban in Nimruz and forced to return to Kabul.

On February 14th, at 11:30 PM, at a Taliban checkpoint at the entrance gate of Maidan Wardak and Kabul, the Marina family was detained while they were aboard bus type 583. The Taliban closed their eyes and mouths them and transferred them to an unknown location.

The source states: "During the detention, the Taliban interrogated the Marina family. They asked why they hadn't remained silent and protested every day. The Taliban used physical violence against the Marina family, beating them with lashes and pipes."

After their arrest, the Marina family spent 5 days and nights in Taliban custody and were released on the night of February 20th in Gulaee Mahatab Qala. The source states: "The Taliban released them due to the severe mental condition of one of Marina's brothers, who had developed psychological problems after seeing his sister's body, and also because of the young children among the family. However, after the release of the other family members, Marina's parents are still detained by the Taliban."

So far, more than 7 and a half months have passed since Marina's parents were detained. The Marina family has no information about parent’s situation and are unaware of their fate.

The source close to Marina stated, "Marina's family contacted UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) and provided them with a detailed account of the situation along with relevant documents, requesting support. However, UNAMA's response was disappointing. They said there was nothing they could do."

According to the source, UNAMA has told Marina's family that "while it is true that this is a human rights violation and a crime against women, we are not able to intervene effectively in this matter. This is not the first case of such crimes, as the bodies of several other girls have also been found in the Omid-e-Sabz township and other parts of the city. We can only publish this issue in our quarterly report and have no power to secure the release of Marina's parents or pursue justice for Marina."

Now, three brothers and one sister of Marina are living in hiding due to fear of the Taliban.

The source says, "Marina had big aspirations. She wanted to complete her education and achieve great success. She was studying Computer Science at Kabul University. Unfortunately, with the Taliban's closure of universities to girls, she couldn't fulfill her dream of completing this desired field. Therefore, she began studying midwifery, aiming to become a doctor and serve her fellow citizens in her community. Marina was a talented and diligent girl. Alongside her university studies, she also learned Islamic sciences, Quran recitation, memorization, and Arabic language. She worked as a seamstress and beautician to cover her educational expenses. Marina adhered strictly to Islamic hijab guidelines, covering even her hair completely."

The source says that Marina's family urges all free people and human rights defenders to amplify their voices to the world and not remain silent in the face of "Taliban crimes." Marina's family demands justice for Marina and all women who have become victims of "Taliban injustice and tyranny." They argue that "we must not allow this tragedy to repeat for other women in Afghanistan, and we should always stand for justice and defend the rights of the oppressed."

It is worth noting that Taliban forces detained dozens of women and girls from the Dasht Barchi, Khair Khana, and Taymani Project areas of Kabul city in December 2023 and February 2024 under the pretext of "improper hijab". This Taliban action drew widespread reactions, but the group continued to detain women and girls, disregarding these reactions.