KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban intelligence agents have detained a young man originally from Panjshir province in Kabul, days after he was deported from Iran, local sources told KabulNow.
The man, identified as Shams ul Rahman from Abdullah Khel district of Panjshir, was taken into custody in Kabul’s 15th district on Monday, February 24. Sources say the Taliban did not provide any reason for the detention and have taken him to an undisclosed location.
According to those familiar with the matter, Rahman had no known ties to armed or political groups. He had traveled to Iran in search of work after graduating from university under the previous government but was recently deported.
Taliban authorities have yet to comment on the case.
Panjshir, a small province north of Kabul, has been a stronghold for anti-Taliban groups such as the National Resistance Front (NRF) and the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF). As a result, the region has faced some of the harshest collective punishment from the Taliban in recent years.
Since their return to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have detained, tortured, and in some cases killed dozens of Panjshir residents, often accusing them of collaborating with armed groups or possessing weapons.
Rights groups and activists have condemned the Taliban’s actions in Panjshir as war crimes. A 2023 Amnesty International report documented widespread abuses, including unlawful detentions, torture, and executions, describing the Taliban’s campaign as a form of collective punishment.
