KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban intelligence agents have detained a member of the former Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in Kapisa province, eastern Afghanistan, according to local sources.
Speaking with KabulNow today, the sources identified the former ANDSF member as Aqa Jan Ahmadi, originally from Kohband district, who was detained by the Taliban in the district last Saturday, October 26.
A relative of Aqa Jan told KabulNow that he was a member of the Afghanistan police during the republic government. However, following the Taliban takeover, he had no military activities and was living a normal life in the province.
The reason for his arrest remains unclear, and the Taliban has not yet commented on the matter.
This is the latest in a series of targeted arrests, detentions, torture, and killings of former soldiers and employees of the previous government by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Since their return to power in Afghanistan three years ago, the Taliban, despite their declared “general amnesty,” have arrested, detained, brutally tortured, and, in some cases, killed hundreds of former ANDSF members across the country.
In a report last year, the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented at least 800 human rights abuses against former ANDSF members, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, detentions, and torture from the day the Taliban returned to power until June 2023.
The report highlighted 218 cases of extrajudicial killings of former security forces and ex-officials, over 424 cases of arbitrary arrests and detentions, with the remainder classified as instances of torture, enforced disappearances, and other abuses.
Following the report’s release, Roza Otunbayeva, head of UNAMA, urged Taliban authorities to demonstrate a genuine commitment to the general amnesty announced by their supreme leader. “This is a crucial step in ensuring real prospects for justice, reconciliation, and lasting peace in Afghanistan.”
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called on the Taliban authorities to thoroughly consider the report’s findings and to fulfill their obligations under international human rights law by preventing further violations and holding perpetrators accountable.
