French aid worker, Bettina Goislard shot dead

Bettina Goislard

Bettina Goislard (11 November 1974 - 16 November 2003) was a French employee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), assigned to its mission in Afghanistan.

She was involved in the UNHCR's efforts to help about 50,000 displaced Afghan refugees return to their homes in and around the city of Ghazni.

On 16 November 2003, while driving through the streets of Ghazni in a clearly identified UNHCR vehicle, she was shot at point-blank range by two men on a motorcycle. She was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital some minutes later. Her two assailants were caught and beaten by a local crowd, and then taken into custody by local security forces.

On 18 November, the Taliban claimed responsibility for her murder, citing Goislard's Christianity as their motivation. Two days later, in accordance with her wishes, Bettina Goislard was buried in Kabul.