KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local sources in western Herat province reported that Taliban intelligence agents arrested a young man a week ago and returned his dead body to his family on Friday.
Speaking with KabulNow today, the sources identified the young man as Hekmatullah, saying he was arrested a week ago in Herat city.
According to a video clip obtained by KabulNow, signs of severe torture are visible on his body, including bruises on the back of his shoulder and under his throat.
The video shows the body of the young man surrounded by his relatives, who claim that the Taliban strangled him to death.
The motive behind this incident remains unknown. The Taliban authorities have yet to comment on the matter.
The young man’s killing is the latest instance of the Taliban’s campaign of targeted killings in Afghanistan. Despite declaring a general amnesty after seizing power in August 2021, the regime has been accused of extrajudicially killing civilians and former members of the previous government and armed forces.
Human rights organizations have consistently criticized the Taliban for these actions, urging the regime to respect the rights and freedoms of all citizens, including former government employees.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, the country has also witnessed a sharp rise in mysterious killings. Citizens are increasingly concerned about their safety and security, despite the Taliban’s claims of maintaining security across the country.
Earlier today, local sources in Herat province reported that a 20-year-old man was mysteriously killed in Injil district on Thursday, July 18.
The sources identified the young man as Rahmatullah, saying that he was killed by unidentified individuals with a knife. The Taliban security forces reportedly detained his fiancée and a member of his father-in-law’s family.
On Friday evening, in another incident in eastern Nangarhar province, unidentified armed men attacked and killed a young man named Sawkat Nasiri with a knife.
Local Taliban authorities have confirmed the incident and said that they are investigating it.
