KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Jawed Kohistani, a well-known political and military analyst, has been released from Taliban detention after several weeks, according to his family.
Kohistani was freed at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, October 15th, as confirmed by his relatives to KabulNow. A family member attributed his arrest to a “misunderstanding,” but did not offer further details.
Kohistani had been detained by Taliban intelligence on September 26th in Kabul’s Khairkhana area, after which he went missing. Known for his media appearances and outspoken criticism of the Taliban, his arrest drew widespread attention.
Several human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, had called for his immediate release. Amnesty condemned Kohistani’s arbitrary detention, highlighting it as part of the broader repression under Taliban rule against those expressing dissenting views.
Since retaking control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban, despite declaring a “general amnesty,” have arrested, detained, tortured, and, in some cases, killed numerous activists, journalists, former officials, and critics of their regime.
