The family of university student Zabih Ayar from southeastern Ghazni province has expressed concerns over his detention by the Taliban a month ago.
In a video message to KabulNow, Zabih Ayar’s family expressed their anguish as they have received no news regarding his whereabouts or well-being since his arrest.
According to the family, Zabih Ayar was detained by the Taliban on April 23 from Nawabad village in the Waghaz district of Ghazni province and was subsequently transferred to an undisclosed location.
Mohammad Nasim, Ayar’s uncle, sought assistance from tribal elders and reached out to both the Taliban’s security departments in Ghazni and the group’s Ministry of Interior in Kabul. Their efforts have yet to yield any response.
Nasim emphasises that if Ayar is indeed suspected of criminal activities, his family deserves to be informed about the charges. Conversely, if he is innocent, they question the basis for his continued imprisonment.
Zabih’s younger brother, Ahmad, says that initially the Taliban Intelligence Directorate in Ghazni acknowledged his arrest, but they have since retracted their admission regarding his detention. Some of Zabih Ayar’s friends have also been arrested by the Taliban and their safety and well-being are unknown.
The Taliban has been accused of extrajudicial detentions, torture and murders on a wide scale since returning to power in August 2021.
