Local sources in northeastern Takhar province have reported that the Taliban has arrested a former soldier of the previous government’s Ministry of Interior in Farkhar district of the province.
The soldier, identified as Masoud Shuja, was arrested on Friday afternoon and has been taken to an unknown location.
According to the sources, Shuja had fled to Iran after the Taliban takeover but returned to Afghanistan recently. He had served as the head of the anti-narcotics department in Farkhar district under the previous government.
The reason for his arrest is not yet known, and the Taliban authorities in Takhar have not commented on the matter.
The Taliban have arrested, tortured, and imprisoned dozens of soldiers and employees of the previous government since they came to power in August 2021.
In a recent report, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented at least 800 cases of human rights abuses—including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and torture and ill-treatment—against the former army, police, and intelligence forces between August 15, 2021, and June 2023.
Of these, 218 cases involved extrajudicial killings of former security forces and ex-officials, more than 424 cases of arbitrary arrests and detentions, and the remaining were reported as instances of torture, enforced disappearances, and other abuse.
