RASC News Agency: Local sources from Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, report that the Taliban have detained Mohammad Akram Hussainzada, the head of the National Institute for the Support of Disabled Persons in Balkh. Sources informed the media on Sunday, July 28, that Hussainzada had been missing for approximately 45 days, with no contact since his disappearance.
According to these sources, Hussainzada’s family learned after six weeks of searching that he was being held by the Taliban’s intelligence agency. Hussainzada, who suffers from a disability in one leg, has worked with organizations advocating for the rights of disabled individuals for over two decades. In the past three years, he has served as the head of the National Institute for the Support of Disabled Persons and Martyrs’ Families in Balkh.
The sources also noted that the Taliban’s intelligence agency has not commented on his detention. However, they instructed Hussainzada’s family not to disclose his arrest to anyone and to deny his presence in Afghanistan. During the nearly three years of Taliban rule, a significant number of citizens, including government employees and former security personnel, have been detained by the group.
Additionally, the Taliban have reportedly arrested, tortured, and, in some cases, killed their political opponents in various provinces across the country.
