KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban intelligence agents have detained Parviz SayedKhali, a former military commander during the previous government, along with his younger brother, Mohammad Omar, local sources reported.
According to sources, SayedKhali, who recently returned from Iran, was taken into custody on Wednesday evening while going to a pharmacy in the Khair Khana neighborhood of Kabul. The detention was carried out by forces from the Taliban’s Intelligence Directorate 40.
SayedKhali served as a brigade commander in the Afghan national army in Baghlan province during the republic era. Sources said that this is the third time he has been detained by the Taliban in the past four years. Two of his other brothers were also previously arrested and are currently being held in Bagram prison.
The reasons for the arrests have not been made public. Taliban authorities have not commented on SayedKhali’s detention.
The arrest underscores ongoing concerns over the Taliban’s treatment of former government officials and military personnel. Although the group has announced a “general amnesty” for members of the former Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) and other officials, reports of arbitrary arrests, detentions, and extrajudicial killings remain widespread.
In its latest report, the rights organization Rawadari documented at least 20 cases over the past six months in which former military personnel were killed or injured across Afghanistan. The group said most of these incidents were carried out by Taliban forces or unidentified individuals who operate with impunity.
Human rights groups and the UN continue to urge the Taliban to respect the rights of all citizens, including former soldiers and activists. The Taliban, however, claims that it follows its leader’s amnesty orders.
