Date: 28/09/1403

A Former Bodyguard of Ashraf Ghani Dies by Suicide After Taliban Arrest His Wife in Kabul
8AM, Kabul: Local sources report that Colonel Rahim‑del Hanafi, one of the former bodyguards of Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, the former president of Afghanistan, has died by suicide in Kabul following the arrest of his wife by the Taliban.
Sources confirmed to 8AM Daily that this former military officer ended his life by hanging on the evening of Sunday, 25 Qaws, in the “Qol‑e Abchakan” area of Kabul city.
According to the sources, the Taliban had been attempting to detain him over the past ten days and had searched his home four times, but were unable to locate him.
Sources further state that four days ago, the Taliban once again raided Colonel Hanafi’s home and arrested his wife, transferring her to an undisclosed location.
They added that after the fall of the former government, he had left Afghanistan for Iran, but returned last year under guarantees provided by Qudratullah Amini, the Taliban’s former governor of Panjshir, and Nooruddin Azizi, the group’s Minister of Commerce.
He was originally from the Parandi Valley in the Bazarak district of Panjshir, though he had been residing in Kabul.
The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.
Earlier this month, another former military officer died by suicide in the Chihilsutoon area of Kabul following pressure and threats from the Taliban. That individual, named Fawad, had been an officer in the former Afghan National Army.

This case documents the use of arrest and family-member detention by Taliban authorities in the context of targeting former officials of the previous government. The arrest of a spouse, repeated home raids, and sustained pressure against a former military officer illustrate coercive practices extending beyond the individual to family members. While the death is reported as suicide, the surrounding circumstances—prolonged pursuit, threats, and the detention of a close family member—highlight the broader climate of intimidation and psychological coercion faced by former officials.