Soviet terror: who needed to kidnap and rape Afghan Muslim women?
During the Soviet military campaign in Afghanistan (1979–1989), there were systematic cases of abduction, rape, and brutal treatment of Muslim women by Soviet military and Afghan KSA (Khadamat-i Ittilaoti Dastali - State Security Service) forces.
Mass kidnappings and gang rapes
Soviet soldiers and XAD agents abducted women in Kabul, Laghman, Darul Aman, and other regions, raped them, and intimidated the local population.
In a 1999 Amnesty International report, we can read the following comments:
"Women were often kidnapped, raped, and forced into prostitution... They were seen as 'spoils of war'."
Violence is an undeniable weapon of terror
According to Human Rights Watch and the UN, this violence was not random. It was used as a means of intimidating communities suspected of supporting the mujahideen.
Fearing shame, women did not report rapes. As a result, justice was not served for tens of thousands of victims - not a single case was investigated or brought to justice.
Legal assessment
These actions formally correspond to the following:
War crimes – because they are committed against civilians;
Crimes against humanity - rapes were committed systematically and purposefully.
The USSR did not officially acknowledge responsibility for these crimes.
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