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Relocate us to a safe country: An interview with a former female military commander
This interview was translated from Persian to English by Rustam Seerat
After the Taliban regained power on August 15, 2021, the previous government’s military personnel were suddenly among the most vulnerable groups in Afghanistan.
Soon, reports emerged of the Taliban targetting former government military personnel, who were imprisoned, assassinated, or vanished at the hands of the new regime’s militants. Some former military personnel fled to neighbouring countries, often without legal entry documents. Many are still trying to get themselves and their families to safety.
To discover more about their fate, Zan Times spoke to Latifa Shujaie about her life before and after the government’s fall. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the military academy and a master’s in criminal law and criminology.
During her 16 years in the former government, she served in a variety of departments, including the Ministry of Interior, where she was the general director of domestic violence. She was the first woman to command the Women’s Special Forces, and later became the security deputy of the Pul-e-Charkhi women’s prison. The Taliban arrived the day she received her appointment to be a commander of…
