Mursal Nabizada, a former female legislator of Afghanistan has been killed by assailants at her home in the capital city of Kabul, police have confirmed.
Nabizada, a member of the Afghan parliament in the US-backed government that was toppled by the Taliban in August 2021, was one of the few female parliamentarians who stayed in Kabul after the Taliban invasion.
One of her security guards was also killed in the shooting incident, local police confirmed.
“Nabizada, along with one of her bodyguards, was shot dead at her house,” Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said on Sunday. “The security forces have started a serious investigation into the incident,” he said.
Another security guard and Nabizada’s brother were injured, while her third security guard fled the scene with money and jewelry, according to Kabul Police Chief Molvi Hamidullah Khalid.
The shooting happened around 3 am on Sunday, Khalid confirmed while declining to comment on possible motives of the killing.
Her killing sparked anger and a strong reaction from Afghan women and human rights organizations.
Tirana Hassan, the interim executive director at Human Rights Watch, said the killing is the “latest escalation” and “assault on women’s rights” under Taliban rule.
United States Chargé d’Affaires Karen Decker offered condolences and said she was “angered, heartbroken” by the murder of former Afghan lawmaker.