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[INTERNATIONAL] · Afghanistan · 4 sources

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Afghanistan: Teenager imprisoned for refusing marriage to 70-year-old commander

Bibi Sedika, a 17-year-old Afghan girl, has spent 21 months in a Taliban prison after refusing to marry Maulavi Hodainazar, a 70-year-old local commander in Badghis province. According to the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) and the media outlet Rukhshana, the situation began when Sedika was 12; she was forced to move into the commander's home to settle a debt owed by her father.

Although a Taliban court initially ruled in Sedika's favor, Hodainazar reportedly pressured a judge in Badghis to transfer the case to a more favorable court. In the subsequent proceeding, Sedika was sentenced to five years in prison. Reports indicate she has faced torture during her detention in an attempt to force her compliance.

The case has caused significant psychological trauma for Sedika and health issues for her mother. Taliban authorities recently proposed a settlement involving a three-day marriage to the commander, a proposal rejected by the family.

Entities

Badghis Province · Bibi Sedika · Maulavi Hodainazar · Mavlavie Hodainazar · Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan · Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan · Rukhshana

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