A security employee of the World Health Organization (WHO) was tortured and killed at his workplace in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. The incident has been widely covered by media outlets, but as of the publication of this report, neither the WHO nor the Taliban have issued any response. Meanwhile, some citizens of Afghanistan attribute the killing to religious and ethnic conflicts, emphasizing that religious minorities, particularly Ismailis, face systematic suppression and physical elimination by the Taliban and other fundamentalist groups.
Local sources from Badakhshan told Hasht-e Subh Daily that Sayed Qiyamuddin Hoshmand, a WHO employee, was tortured and killed on the evening of Sunday, 1 June 2025, at his workplace in Jalalabad, Nangarhar’s provincial capital. According to sources, Hoshmand had been employed as a security officer and guard at the organization for about 10 months, replacing his brother, Shah Mir Yamgani, who was killed in the same location in June 2024.
A relative of the WHO employee said the family had not yet recovered from the loss of Shah Mir Yamgani when Sayed Qiyamuddin Hoshmand, the last remaining member of their family, was killed in the same place as his brother. The relative stated that Hoshmand was murdered in his bedroom in Jalalabad, adding, “This crime must not be overlooked. How is it possible that two brothers are killed, one after the other, in the same room?”
Meanwhile, some citizens blame the Taliban for the incident, asserting that many members of the group do not recognize religious minorities and consider killing them a “righteous act.” They claim the Ismaili community is being silently and systematically targeted by the Taliban, a troubling trend that continues amid widespread silence.
Mohammad (pseudonym), a resident of Badakhshan, said, “The Taliban have a deep-rooted and inherent issue with Ismailis. A clear example is the forced conversion of religion in some areas of Badakhshan, particularly in Darwaz district, where people are coerced into changing their faith, and Ismaili children are enrolled in Sunni-affiliated madrasas.”
He added, “This trend is even more severe in Pashtun-dominated areas of the country. These actions are part of an organized ideological program and could be considered an international crime.”
Shahryar (pseudonym) claimed the killing of the WHO security employee was motivated by religious and ethnic biases. He noted that the victim’s brother was also killed due to similar prejudices. Shahryar said, “In many Pashtun-dominated areas, Ismailis are referred to with derogatory terms, and negative propaganda against their faith is rampant. Qiyamuddin was both an Ismaili and a Tajik, and they could not tolerate him.”
Other citizens have accused international organizations of misrepresenting Afghanistan’s security situation as safe and stable to donor countries to secure project extensions and additional funding.
Rishta, a social media user, wrote in response to the WHO employee’s killing, “When international organizations in Afghanistan, under the Taliban’s control, report to funding agencies that working conditions are favorable and no security issues exist, they are concealing the truth, endangering their employees’ lives.”
The user claimed that employees of international organizations face daily verbal, psychological, and sometimes physical harassment from Taliban members. According to Rishta, despite clear threats, these organizations insist that such issues should not be publicized to avoid complications for themselves or their staff. The user also alleged that some organizations strike deals with the Taliban, including them in certain projects.
Previously, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that “the Taliban have repeatedly arbitrarily detained, tortured, and even killed employees of humanitarian and human rights organizations. These actions not only threaten the safety of employees but also severely restrict humanitarian activities.”
Similarly, Amnesty International stated, “Extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and ongoing threats against human rights activists and employees of international organizations by the Taliban continue, reflecting widespread human rights violations in Afghanistan.”
Transparency International’s reports indicate that widespread corruption and security threats under Taliban rule have disrupted humanitarian aid and activities, exposing employees of international and local organizations to arbitrary detentions and violence. The organization emphasized that the lack of accountability and transparency in the Taliban’s actions has led to increased human rights violations and reduced international support.
The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has addressed security issues, corruption, and restrictions on humanitarian activities in Afghanistan under Taliban rule in multiple reports. SIGAR stated, “The Taliban have targeted employees of international and local organizations through threats, arbitrary detentions, and political pressure.”
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
قتل کارمند سازمان جهانی صحت؛ واکنشها به ستیز مذهبی و سکوت طالبان
