Relatives of a young poet, Mehran Popal, claim that the Taliban have arrested him on Saturday, August 14, in Herat but they don’t have any clue regarding his whereabouts so far.
Talking to Kabul Now, Maroof, who is brother of the missing poet, said the Taliban arrested Popal from his home in Herat’s Ghond 11 area last Saturday. We don’t know about him and his whereabouts since then, he added.
According to Maroof, the Taliban have arrested the young poet allegedly for he had criticized the group’s distribution of “safe-conduct” documents to the people in Herat.
He, however, told that the Taliban’s relevant commission have rejected arresting the poet when they contacted the commission.
Meanwhile, Popal’s relatives are urging the Taliban to release him as soon as possible.
The Taliban has not officially commented regarding the arrest so far.
Before the Taliban’s takeover of Herat and the capital Kabul, the poet was a staunch supporter of the government and would often campaign for uprising forces against the Taliban.
