A brave Afghan army officer who worked with the Australian Defence Force as an interpreter has been executed by the Taliban - with his terrified wife and children in 'extreme danger' and pleading to be evacuated to Australia.
The father had been desperately trying to secure a humanitarian visa for himself and his family since the Taliban's recapture of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops in August. They had missed the first round of evacuations because they had not been told by Australian authorities they were eligible.
But his sister, who lives in Australia, has revealed through the family's lawyer on Wednesday her brother was recently executed.
'It was only two days ago his sister called me... and said: "They finally found him and they executed him",' Sydney lawyer Shahri Rafi told ABC Radio National.
An Afghan interpreter and former army officer has been executed by the Taliban while attempting to secure a humanitarian visa for himself and his family back to Australia. Pictured: Australian troops at at Patrol Base Samad, Afghanistan, in 2011
The Taliban made it a priority to execute anyone who had helped their enemies, with interpreters in their firing line. Above, a Taliban fighter stands guard at a checkpoint in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood in the city of Kabul in August, 2021
The victim worked for years as an officer in the Afghanistan army before assisting Australian soldiers serving in the country.
'The family were not told about the Australian government's emergency evacuation process, so he was not included the process, unfortunately,' Ms Rafi said.
'He's executed now, and the family are in a desperate situation and they are not the only ones. They got in touch with me thinking that...I may know of different avenues that they haven't tried.
'Unfortunately the family is now in extreme danger and in hiding... we lost a human being who served and helped the Australian army and the Afghanistan army.'
The ABC reported the family have looked at other ways to secure the humanitarian visa, including contacting Australian soldiers he worked with in Afghanistan to support their application.
The father was not told of the Australian government's plans to evacuate embassy workers and interpreters after the terrorist organisation recaptured the country. Pictured: Coalition forces in Kandalay village in 2011
A lawyer for the family said she was first contacted after they discovered too late he was eligible for the emergency evacuation process the Australian government were carrying out. Australian Army soldiers are pictured in Afghanistan back in 2008
However, after reaching out to the ADF, they were told they would not disclose the details of his former colleagues and close associates for safety reasons.
'[His family] called the ADF on multiple occasions and each time ADF told them that because of confidentiality reasons we cannot disclose this,' Ms Rafi said.
The murdered interpreter's family remain in hiding waiting to see if the Australian government will evacuate them after the Taliban made it a priority to execute anyone who assisted their enemies.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has vowed to continue getting Afghans who worked alongside Australian forces safely out of Afghanistan.
Mr Hawke did not want to comment on the interpreter's case due to security concerns but he said the government was still working to get people out of the Taliban-controlled country safely.
'It's a hideous equation for people
