In the past few months there have been targeted attacks on human rights defenders, activists and religious representatives in Afghanistan. The latest victim is a prominent suffragette who survived the attack.
Kabul (dpa) - The Afghan women's rights activist Fausia Kufi was injured in an assassination attempt on her. Kufi is also part of the government's delegation for the planned peace talks with the Taliban.
She was wounded in the arm in the attack on Friday, according to her official Facebook page. The attack happened on an expressway north of the capital Kabul. At first no one confessed to the attack.
President Ashraf Ghani condemned the act in the strongest possible terms, as government spokesman Sedik Sedikki announced on Twitter on Saturday.
The Afghan government and the militant Islamist Taliban are currently planning peace talks. The direct negotiations are to begin as soon as a prisoner swap is completed.
There have already been targeted attacks on human rights activists, activists and religious representatives in the past few months. Experts see this as an attempt to intimidate and weaken Afghan civil society before the planned peace talks.
The USA signed an agreement with the Taliban on February 29 in Doha (Qatar) that provides for the withdrawal of international troops. In return, the Taliban should guarantee that Afghanistan will no longer pose a terrorist threat. The agreement also obliges the Taliban to hold peace talks within Afghanistan; a prisoner exchange to build trust had been agreed.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200815-99-177574 / 3
Official Facebook page Fausia Kufi to the anchor
Tweet Sedikki (Dari)