Dozens of people, many of them women, call on the government to dismiss and prosecute police agents involved in the victim's lynching. The 27-year-old was beaten to death, her body set on fire for allegedly burning a Qur'an. The investigation confirms her innocence. At the funeral, women were able to carry her coffin.

Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Dozens of people - including many women - took part in a protest this morning in Kabul against the brutal murder of Farkhunda, 27, who was beaten to death by dozens of men for allegedly burning a copy of the Qur'an.

Members of the National Solidarity Party also attended the protests near Shah-e-Do Shamshera Mosque with protesters chanting anti-police slogans. Demonstrators also called on the government to fire and punish those police officers involved in the case.

"Farkhunda was innocent and all the accusations against her were untrue," Interior Minister Noor-ul-Haq Ulumi told parliament on Monday. "Thirteen suspected perpetrators and 13 police officials have been arrested in [. . .] connection" with the case.

The funeral of 27-year-old woman was held Sunday in Kabul. Breaking with tradition, women also carried her coffin until the family's tomb. Hundreds of people took part in the ceremony.

Funeral participants stopped Dr Ayaz Niazi, a prominent religious scholar at Wazir Akbar Khan Mosque, from taking part in the burial ceremony since he had justified Farkhunda's killing and backed her murderers.

The victim's parents told ToloNews, an Afghan all-news TV channel, that the mob that attacked Farkhunda was incited by a mullah from the Shah-e-Do Shamshera mosque, near the murder scene.

According to her parents, Farkhunda went to a mullah to stop him from deceiving people by writing false Tawiz, a folded piece of paper containing verses of the Qur'an.

The practice of writing Tawiz is common in Afghanistan as people wear a Tawiz to ward off any evil or affliction put on them through black magic, keep them safe and bring them good luck.

In order to save his job and life, the mullah reportedly began shouting that the young woman had burnt the Qur'an.

According to the eyewitnesses, hundreds of angry civilians flocked to the mosque, dragged out Farkhunda and started beating her.

Her father, Nadir, who is an engineer, insisted on her daughter's innocence, telling ToloNews that she could not have committed such an act because she was a graduate from a religious school and also taught Qur'an to children.

"I want all the judicial institutions to prosecute the perpetrators," Nadir said as he broke into tears. "I don't want my daughter's blood to have been shed in vain."

Farkhunda's mother also strongly denounced her daughter's murder, calling on the government to ensure the safety of citizens, especially that of women who have been the victim of various types of violence for decades.

• afghanistan
• farkhunda
• murder
• qur‘an