Video of Taliban Flogging Rattles Pakistan

Mobile phone footage of a teenage girl being flogged publicly in Pakistan’s Swat Valley is now circulating widely.

The video, reports The New York Times, shows a young woman held face down as a Taliban commander whips her repeatedly with a leather strap. “Leave me for the moment — you can beat me again later,” she screams, pleading for a reprieve and writhing in pain.

The woman in the video is a 17-year-old resident of Kabal, in the restive Swat region in northwestern Pakistan.

The images, which have been broadcast repeatedly by private television news networks in Pakistan, have caused outrage here and set off bitter condemnation by rights activists and politicians.

It was not clear what the young woman was accused of.

One account said she had stepped out of her house without being escorted by a male family member, according to Samar Minallah, a rights activist. Ms. Minallah said she distributed the video to local news outlets after it was sent to her by someone from Swat three days ago.

Another account said a local Taliban commander had falsely accused the teenager of violating Islamic law after she refused to accept his marriage proposal.

Read full article in the NY Times.

emily | 9:59 AM | Citizens as Camera Phone Reporters |
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