Some students who returned to Afghanistan from Iran say that the Taliban arrested and imprisoned them on charges of propaganda against the group, and that a number of them are still in Taliban prisons. The exact number of those detained is not clear, because the Taliban require individuals released from prison to sign a written pledge not to write about the matter or speak with the media. However, one student who was detained for four months on charges of propaganda against the group while traveling to Afghanistan confirms that several other students were being held in detention at the same time as him.
Over the past five years, the Taliban have repeatedly been accused of taking revenge against the country’s citizens. The group arrests, imprisons, and tortures individuals who criticize Taliban rule. The Taliban have also officially declared that criticizing their rule is considered a crime, and they have blocked any form of civic and political activity by citizens. The group has warned that no one has the right to engage in political or social activity in Afghanistan.
Hassan (pseudonym), one of these students, says he was arrested by Taliban intelligence at the Islam Qala border crossing in the spring of 2026. He adds that Taliban intelligence forces first harassed and tortured him and then brought him before the group’s court. He emphasizes that the Taliban court sentenced him to four months in prison on charges of propaganda against the group, and that he spent the entire sentence behind bars.
The student adds that the Taliban take a harsh and uncompromising approach toward individuals who are active on social media and criticize the group. According to him, people who are active against the Taliban on social media from outside the country are identified, arrested, and tortured upon entering Afghanistan.
Hassan says that at the same time as him, other students were also in prison, having been arrested and imprisoned on charges of propaganda against the group, and that they have not yet been released. According to him, after releasing anyone detained on this charge, the Taliban obtain a pledge from them not to write about the matter or speak with the media.
The student asks people who write against the Taliban not to return to Afghanistan, saying that conditions are not favorable for them. He adds: “Tell those who intend to come to Afghanistan never to come, because they will be arrested.” According to him, the Taliban take revenge on anyone who has written material against the group.
The young man also emphasizes that there is currently no employment opportunity for educated and university-trained individuals under Taliban rule. According to him, the group only recruits individuals into government institutions under its control who have a background in war and military activities.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) had previously reported that the Taliban have silenced media criticism of the group’s officials. According to the organization, Taliban directives have created grounds for punishing individuals accused of insulting the group’s leaders, punishments that can include flogging or imprisonment. The organization added that over the past five years, the Taliban have issued more than 20 decrees and orders that severely restrict and suppress the media. According to Reporters Without Borders, some of these orders are communicated to the media verbally by Taliban institutions.
Abdul Hakim Sharay, the Taliban’s Minister of Justice, has said that political parties are not allowed to operate in Afghanistan under the group’s rule, and that even mentioning the existence of a party is considered a crime.
This comes as sources in Ghor had previously said that during Friday prayers, the Taliban warned residents of the province that they do not have the right to express their views or like content opposing the group on social media. The Taliban have also warned residents of Ghor living outside the country that if they “like” or “comment” on content from opponents of the group, their relatives and family members will be arrested and imprisoned.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
انتقامگیری طالبان؛ منتقدان خارج از کشور هنگام ورود به افغانستان بازداشت میشوند
