Hora Sadat, a female YouTuber, built a large social-media following by producing light-hearted videos about life in Afghanistan.
Even after the Taliban seized power in 2021, the 25-year-old remained unfazed. She continued to generate content for her tens of thousands of subscribers despite the militant group's attempts to erase women from public life.
Last week, Sadat's social-media accounts fell silent. She was allegedly poisoned after attending a private event in the capital, Kabul, on August 21. The Taliban said it had arrested two people -- a man and a woman -- in connection with her death.
Although the motive for her alleged poisoning is not clear, her death has had a chilling effect on female online personalities and social-media influencers still active in Afghanistan.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, several female YouTubers, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said they fear for their lives and have cut their online presence.
"Any woman who works for the media, is active in civil society, or appears on social media faces extreme threats," Shakeela, a female YouTuber who requested that her real name not be used, told Radio Azadi.
Afghan women hold placards demanding their right to education in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif in June.
Shakeela says she no longer films in public, opting to produce videos from the safety of her home. Even then, she does not show her face in her videos. "Out of fear, I cannot even tell our neighbors that I run a YouTube channel," said Shakeela, who lives in Kabul.
Only a handful of young female Afghan YouTubers have continued their activities under the Taliban, which has waged a brutal crackdown on dissent.
Many social-media personalities, including men, have avoided criticizing the Taliban or commenting on politics. Instead, they have focused on showcasing Afghan culture and natural beauty. Despite their apolitical nature, the online content has shed some light on Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Suraya, another female YouTuber in Kabul, says Sadat's death has spread fear among Afghan women who play a visible role in society. "I am terrified," she told Radio Azadi.
'You're On Your Own'
Some women's rights activists in Afghanistan have blamed the Taliban for Sadat's death, although there is no evidence of the militant group's involvement.
Last week, members of the Afghan Women's Empowerment Movement gathered at Sadat's grave and expressed concerns over what they said were the targeted killings of prominent women.
Members of the Afghan Women's Empowerment Movement gather at Sadat's grave in Kabul.
"By going to Hora's grave, we first want to share our sorrow with her family and friends. Then we want the international community to punish those who are behind the mysterious and targeted killings of women," Halima Hakimi, a member of the movement, told Radio Azadi.
In January, Mursal Nabidzadah, a former female lawmaker, was shot dead along with a bodyguard when unidentified gunmen broke into her house in Kabul. The motives for her killing remain unclear.
Sadat's death has underscored the dangers faced by women under the Taliban.
Since seizing power, the hard-line Islamist group has banned women from education and most forms of employment, effectively denied them any public role in society, and imposed strict limitations on their mobility and appearance. The militants have violently suppressed protests by women and detained female activists.
The Taliban has also dismantled the Women's Affairs Ministry and Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission as well as closing shelters, legal assistance programs, and special courts that were designed to combat violence against women and girls.
"The message this has sent to women and girls is that if you are facing violence or threats, the Taliban administration will not offer you any help -- you're on your own," said Heather Barr, associate women's rights director at Human Rights Watch. "Women have every reason to fear for their safety."