Afghan Woman Accused Of Adultery, Stoned To Death

A young woman has been stoned to death in central Afghanistan after being accused of adultery.

A video appearing to show the punishment had been posted online and the 30-second clip showed a woman in a hole in the ground surrounded by turbaned men who hurl stones at her.

The woman, named as Rokhshana and aged between 19 and 21, could be heard repeatedly and desperately professing her Muslim faith as the stones struck.

Reports, however, said that the killing took place about a week ago in a Taliban-controlled area just outside Firozkoh, the capital of central Ghor province.

Provincial Governor, Seema Joyenda, one of only two female governors in Afghanistan, said that Rokhshana’s fiance was let off with only a lashing.

Joyenda said that Rokhshana was allegedly caught having pre-marital sex with her boyfriend, an act not tolerated by many conservative Muslims in rural Afghanistan.

“This is the first incident in this area [this year], but will not be the last.

“Women in general, have problems all over the country, but in Ghor, even more conservative attitudes prevail”, Joyenda said.

In March, a woman called Farkhunda was savagely beaten and set ablaze in central Kabul after being falsely accused of burning a copy of the Koran.

The murder triggered protests across the country and led to global condemnation of the treatment of Afghan women.