KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Sources in Balkh’s Zari District say that the Taliban have detained a member of the former Afghan government’s military.
A source told KabulNow in a message that the former serviceman, identified as Ibrahim Safari, was arrested on Monday (June 2) from the village of Baye Dostum in Zari District by the Taliban’s Counter-Terrorism Directorate in the district.
According to the source, several days after Ibrahim Safari’s arrest, his family still has no information about his whereabouts or condition.
The source added that the Taliban have demanded that Ibrahim Safari hand over a weapon.
The source further said that Safari had served in the provinces of Herat and Farah and had been on leave before the collapse of the former republic.
Despite announcing a general amnesty after returning to power, the Taliban have repeatedly detained and imprisoned former military personnel and have even been accused of killing some former members of the security forces. The group, however, maintains that it remains committed to the amnesty decree issued by its leader.
Furthermore, concerns about the safety of former government personnel and other vulnerable groups persist in Afghanistan. In a report published earlier this year, the UK-based rights organization Rawadari said that at least 617 people were killed and 537 wounded across the country in 2025, representing a significant increase compared with the previous year.
According to the report, casualties resulted from targeted and suicide attacks, airstrikes, landmine explosions, and other forms of violence. The victims included former government employees and their family members, journalists, civil society activists, protesters, women, children, and individuals accused of links to anti-Taliban groups.
The report also highlighted a sharp increase in arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances. At least 2,559 people were unlawfully detained in 2025, more than double 2024’s figure of 885 and four times higher than 2023. Detainees included 138 former government employees, 77 civil society members and human rights defenders, including seven women, and 192 individuals accused of links to opposition groups.
According to the report, the Taliban detained 2,125 people in 2025, including 88 women, primarily for alleged breaches of their morality rules on dress, beards, and personal conduct.
Rawadari also documented 66 cases of enforced disappearances across 12 provinces, representing an increase of nearly 30% compared to the 51 cases recorded in 2024. The victims were mainly former government employees, individuals accused of links to opposition groups, and some tribal or religious elders.
Human rights organizations and U.N. bodies have previously documented cases involving former military personnel, police officers, and government employees despite the Taliban’s declared amnesty policy. The Taliban have consistently rejected accusations of systematic reprisals and insist that their members are required to adhere to the amnesty order.
