KABUL — A resident of Panjshir province has died under torture while in Taliban custody after being arbitrarily detained in Kabul, according to local sources and relatives.
The man, identified as Mukhtar, was arrested alongside his two sons on Monday in the Khair Khana neighborhood of the capital. Taliban authorities released his sons on Wednesday and returned Mukhtar’s body to the family. His relatives say his corpse bore clear signs of severe torture.
Mukhtar, originally from Zana village in the Hesa-ye Awal district of Panjshir, was reportedly unaffiliated with any opposition groups and lived as a civilian in Kabul.
Taliban officials have not yet commented on the arrest or the circumstances of his death.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Panjshir has faced waves of repression. The province remains a symbolic center of anti-Taliban resistance, hosting forces such as the National Resistance Front (NRF) and the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF). Taliban forces have responded with sweeping arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings across the region, targeting residents suspected of links to opposition groups.
In multiple reports, rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused the Taliban of committing serious violations of international humanitarian law in Panjshir. These include arbitrary detentions, collective punishment, and enforced disappearances.
Despite repeated documentation of abuses, the Taliban continue to deny wrongdoing, insisting their actions are based on security measures and the enforcement of Islamic law.
International watchdogs, however, warn that such practices may amount to war crimes and have called for independent investigations.
