Female Afghan judges hunted by criminals they once convicted

Female Afghan judges are being hunted by criminals they convicted earlier. 

Over 220 female Afghan judges have gone into hiding fearing retribution under Taliban rule. 

“It was midnight when we heard the Taliban had freed all the prisoners from jail. Immediately we fled. We left our home and everything behind,” judge Masooma was quoted as saying by BBC. 

Masooma, as a judge, had convicted hundreds of men for crimes against women, including rape, murder and torture. 

In the past 20 years, 270 women have sat as judges in Afghanistan. 

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After coming to power, Taliban opened gates of prisons across Afghanistan, releasing thousands of convicted criminals. 

“Now we do not feel safe; the same criminals are going after my own life, the lives of my family,” another judge Nabila was quoted as saying by CNN. 

Another judge, Bibi, has been in hiding with her three young children since the Taliban entered Kabul. 

“My worst fear is that my kids… they can’t see their mother being killed,” said Bibi. 

Notably, only a few dozen women judges have managed to escape Afghanistan so far. The rest have gone into hiding.