A 22-year-old gay man was reportedly shot dead by the Taliban in Afghanistan in August. The young man who was killed was identified as Kabul resident Hamed Sabouri.Trigger Warning: This story discusses brutal murder of a gay man, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.A local activist told Pink News that Taliban kidnapped Sabouri and a few days later sent a video of his murder to his family. Bahar, a member of Behesht Collective, an Afghanistan-based LGBTQI organisation, described Sabouri as a ‘shy ” young man who aspired to be a doctor. Afghan gay author Nemat Sadat, who set up a crowdfunding campaign last month to help evacuate LGBTQI Afghans, said that since the Taliban took over in August 2021 “the security of the LGBTQ+ community in Afghanistan has deteriorated dramatically”. According to Sedat, “Neighbours are reporting LGBTQ+ Afghans to the Taliban to gain social credit under their new regime.
