Local sources in Kabul and the northern provinces of the capital report that the Taliban have increased their detention of both former government military personnel and civilians in various parts of the country. According to sources, in just the past week, the Taliban have detained dozens of individuals from the provinces of Panjshir, Parwan, Baghlan, and Takhar. Sources add that the Taliban are detaining these individuals on various pretexts and releasing them upon payment of ransom. According to sources, the Taliban are subjecting the detainees to severe torture in their prisons to coerce them into making payments. Local sources accuse this group of extortion and call for an end to such detention practices.
Findings from the Hasht-e Subh Daily indicate that over the past month, the Taliban have detained at least 45 individuals in Takhar, 26 in Badakhshan, and more than 30 in Baghlan provinces. Most of those detained in Badakhshan are residents of the districts of Shiveh and Shuhada from this province. In Takhar, the majority of individuals detained are from Taloqan City, the provincial capital. In Baghlan province, most of those detained are from the Khost district.
However, sources in the provinces of Panjshir, Kabul, and Parwan also state that the Taliban have detained dozens of residents from these provinces in the past month, but the exact numbers are not yet known. According to statistics reported in the media, the Taliban have detained at least 10 residents of Panjshir in the past week alone, in both this province and Kabul. Among the detainees are former government military personnel.
Among these cases, one individual from Panjshir province, who intended to travel to Iran, was detained by the Taliban at the Islam Qala border crossing. After 22 days of imprisonment and under severe torture, this individual, known as Fayaz al-Haq, tragically lost his life in the Herat prison. He was reportedly “suffocated” by the Taliban on Tuesday, August 22, 2023.
According to sources, while Fayaz al-Haq had no previous military background, the Taliban detained him in Herat province for finding a “military-uniformed photo” on his computer. Sources also suggest that the number of detentions is significantly higher than what is being reported in the media.
Meanwhile, some residents of northern Kabul provinces accuse the Taliban of “extortion” for detaining both non-military individuals and former government military personnel. According to sources, the Taliban primarily detain these individuals to obtain “money and weapons” but release them after the “ransom” is paid.
Ahmad (pseudonym) is one of the residents of Panjshir province. Speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, he revealed that, recently, in connection with the detentions and harassment of the people of Panjshir in Kabul, the security sector for Zone 11 of Kabul city, has apprehended young people from Panjshir, many of whom had family members associated with the previous government in military roles. He stated, “These youths are subjected to torture and coerced into confessing that they possess weapons. They continue by demanding at least two other individuals from Panjshir, either those with military backgrounds, wealthy individuals, or those collaborating with the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), to surrender to them. Subsequently, they contact their families to summon them to the security zone office. They put pressure on them to either provide weapons or pay a ransom. This way, after obtaining money, they release the person.”
Ahmad added, “This extortion method targeting the people of Panjshir is ongoing in Zone 11 of Kabul’s security sector, and in the past month alone, they have detained two young individuals from my close relatives. While the first detainee had no military background and was simply wealthy, having extorted 300,000 Afghanis from the father of the detainee, the second detainee, despite presenting documents proving weapon surrender, was forcibly extorted 250,000 Afghanis.”
According to sources, the process of detentions and extortion by the Taliban from residents of northern Kabul provinces, especially Panjshir, is ongoing daily. In a public gathering held on August 29 this year in Darah district, Panjshir province, even some native Taliban officials in this province criticized the Taliban’s arbitrary detentions.
Mawlawi Qiyamuddin Hanif, the head of the Council of Scholars of Panjshir province, in this gathering attended by several high-ranking Taliban figures, including the governor, security commander, and intelligence chief of the group, referred to the behavior of the Taliban militants towards the residents of this province as “un-Islamic and unjust.”
Furthermore, one of the residents of Darah district openly stated in that gathering, “I have been detained twice by the Taliban without any charges, and I was released after paying money. In the latest case, I sold my cow and paid the money to the Taliban to secure my release. Now, I have neither money nor a cow to sell [to get released in the future].”
Some residents of Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Takhar provinces claim that the Taliban are demanding bribes ranging from 20,000 to 300,000 Afghanis in exchange for the release of detainees. A source in Baghlan province told the Hasht-e Subh Daily, “In the past week, they detained one of our relatives and took $1,200 as a bribe for his release. The Taliban assess the financial situation of each individual [ and then ask for ransom].”
It’s worth noting that over the past two years, the Taliban have been engaging in arbitrary detentions, violently suppressing protest activities, carrying out targeted killings, and engaging in extrajudicial and deadly torture of detainees.
In the latest development, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report detailing hundreds of human rights violations committed by the Taliban against government officials and military personnel. UNAMA stated that an environment of impunity for perpetrators exists in Afghanistan. UNAMA’s report, published on August 22, revealed that from 15 August 2021 to 30 June of this year, it documented at least 800 cases of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture, and enforced disappearances of government officials and military personnel.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, rejected the findings of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) regarding the killing and torture of former officials and military personnel by their forces. However, he did acknowledge some instances of “personal vendettas” against former military personnel.
Previously, the human rights organization “Rawadari” released a report stating that the Taliban had extensively and systematically violated the human rights of the citizens of Afghanistan in the first six months of the current year. According to this organization, in the first six months of this year, the Taliban killed 355 individuals in the country and wounded 161 others. The victims included 269 men, 34 children, 32 women, and 20 individuals with unknown identities. According to Rawadari, government employees, former military personnel, ethnic leaders, Taliban opponents, and civilians were the primary victims of these incidents.
Read this article in Farsi here.
