Murdered hostages were captured by a month ago and were held in Arghandab district of Zabul, Afghanistan according to Salaha Soadat, journalist who posted image
Thousands of demonstrators marched through the rain in west Kabul descending on the presidential palace carrying the coffins of 7 decapitated Shiite Hazaras. Those killed included four men, two women and a nine-year-old girl.
Shahabudin Azizim, a bio-medical science student tweeted,
Tell me; When you put the knife on her throat, was her daddy watching? Was she shouting for help? Earth indeed a dark place
Hezamuddin tweeted
We are neither Tajik, nor Hazara, Pashtun or Uzbak, we are all Afghans and human. We are standing with humanity. #Zabul #ISIL #AFG
Some protesters were in angry mood wanting to blame militants and calling for “death to Taliban and Daesh.” Others tweeted, “if you don’t speak out, you will be next”. The bodies were discovered in the southern province of Zabul. It is unclear who carried out the murders, there were concerns that Uzbeks were implicated however BBC reported, the deputy head of the breakaway faction denied any involvement in a phone call. There has been no claim of responsibility to date.
Salaha Soadat a reporter for Tolo tweeted
The 7 #Hazara #beheaded with razor wire & their bodies were discovered by #Taliban handed them over to local elders
(Images, Twitter)
According to local media, eight people were injured as shots were fired when some protesters attempted to climb the gates of the palace. Demonstrators demanded accountability as to why there was little protections for Hazara community often subjected to kidnappings.
Ehsanullah Amiri, a Wall Street Journal reporter based in Kabul tweeted
Spokesman to @afgexecutive Asif Ashna has resigned from his position in protest to government’s failure & negligence. #Kabul #HazaraKilling
Finally, president @ashrafghani to address the nation soon on state tv. #KabulProtest
He later tweeted,
President @ashrafghani hugs a member of victim families of Zabul beheading. #KabulProtest #Afghanistan
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned the killings saying they may amount to alleged “war crimes”. Nicholas Haysom, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA stated,”these senseless murders may amount to war crimes and the perpetrators must be held accountable.”
There were other concerns regarding killing of civilians raised on social media by Islamic Emirate affiliate, Abdulqahar Balkhi. Details of Taliban statements can be read on the following link,
“Afghanistan: Human Rights groups must investigate alleged targeting of civilians and use of chemical weapons”
Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. (She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”)
Carol Anne Grayson (Radical Sister) blog 