A famous doctor was kidnapped and killed in the north Afghanistan, His family said Friday.
Roheen Alemi, son of Mohamed Nader Alemi, said that he was kidnapped in Mazar-e-Sharif two months ago and his kidnappers demanded a ransom to release him. He said that after negotiating more than twice what they originally asked for, the family eventually paid them $350,000.
His son said that despite the payment, the kidnappers killed Alemi and left his body in the street. He said they called their family and told them where to find it on Thursday.
“My father was severely tortured and his body showed signs of injury,” Roheen Alemi said.
Alemi is a psychiatrist who worked in the provincial hospital of the Mazar-e-Sharif government. He also owns a private clinic, which is said to be the first private psychiatric clinic in the city.
Under the previous government backed by the United States, a surge in criminal activity, including frequent kidnappings and extortion incidents, prompted several businessmen to flee Afghanistan. Since the Taliban seized power on August 15, kidnappings have continued, but the frequency is low.
Taliban Interior Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khosty said that Taliban forces arrested eight suspects in the Balkh province where Mazar-e-Sharif is located, including Alemi. He said that two of the abductees had been rescued, but Alemi was killed before being rescued. The police are looking for two accomplices among the eight arrested men believed to have killed the doctor.
“The Islamic Emirate is committed to finding and punishing the perpetrators,” he said, using the Afghan Taliban name.
At the same time, the Ministry of Finance, which is managed by the Taliban, announced that all government employees will receive three months’ salary, which has not been paid since the Taliban took over. In the context of economic collapse, the lack of salaries for government staff has been a factor that has contributed to the increase in poverty in Afghanistan.
Thomas West, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, responded to an open letter from the Taliban Foreign Minister to the U.S. Congress earlier this week. In the letter, Amir Khan Mutaki said that U.S. sanctions against the Taliban are fueling the economic crisis and urged Congress to release billions of Afghan assets.
West said in a series of tweets that the Taliban have been warned that if the insurgents seize power by military means rather than negotiate a settlement, then non-humanitarian aid to Afghanistan will be cut off.
He said that “legitimacy must be won by establishing an inclusive government and respecting the rights of women and minorities, including equal access to education and employment.” West added that the United States is providing $474 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan through the United Nations agency.
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