KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban have detained Homayon Khahani, an engineer from Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, in the capital Kabul and transferred him to an undisclosed location, local sources said on Friday.
Khahani was arrested four days ago on Tuesday evening while returning from his office in Kabul, according to sources familiar with the matter. He was taken away immediately after the detention and has not been heard from since.
His family remains without any information regarding his whereabouts or well-being, despite multiple attempts to seek clarification from the authorities, the sources added.
The reasons for Khahani’s detention remain unclear, and Taliban authorities have neither confirmed the arrest nor provided any comment.
The incident is the latest in a series of reported detentions across Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. During this period, the group has detained hundreds of individuals, including former Afghan security force members, government officials, civil society activists, journalists, and people suspected of links to opposition groups.
Human rights organizations and United Nations experts have repeatedly voiced concerns about arbitrary arrests, the absence of due process, and reports of mistreatment in Taliban custody. In some cases, the Taliban have said the detentions were linked to security threats or alleged cooperation with armed opposition groups, especially in provinces such as Panjshir and Badakhshan, and other northern regions.
