KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban have detained Obaid Shinwari, a former member of the Nangarhar Provincial Council under the previous government, according to local sources in the eastern province of Nangarhar.
Shinwari was reportedly arrested by Taliban intelligence forces six days ago and remains in their custody. His current condition is unknown, as no information has been released about his status.
Local sources have also revealed that this is not the first instance of harassment faced by Shinwari at the hands of the Taliban.
Despite refraining from any political activities since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, Shinwari has faced mistreatment and was largely confined to his home before his arrest.
Taliban authorities in Nangarhar have yet to issue any statement regarding Shinwari’s detention.
Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have consistently targeted former government officials and military personnel. Numerous reports have surfaced of arbitrary arrests, imprisonment, and extrajudicial killings, despite the Taliban’s announcement of a “general amnesty.”
Between 1 April and 30 June this year, UNAMA Human Rights documented at least 60 instances of arbitrary arrest and detention, 10 instances of torture, and five killings of former government officials and former ANDSF members.
In a broader report covering the period from August 15, 2021, to June 2023, UNAMA recorded over 800 cases of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and torture, targeting former members of the military, police, and intelligence services.
Human rights organizations continue to raise alarms over the Taliban’s gross human rights violations, stressing that revenge killings and enforced disappearances persist.
