RASC News Agency: Reports from local sources in Khost province indicate that a former Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) member has taken his own life following relentless torture and harassment by the Taliban. The victim, identified as “Ghazni,” was a resident of Surkah Lahori village in the Sperai district of Khost. According to sources, Ghazni had been detained and torture by the Taliban on more than 20 occasions. Despite the Taliban’s assurances of a “general amnesty,” he placed his trust in their promises, only to face continuous persecution. The sources further revealed that just days before his death, he was arrested again by Taliban forces.
The Taliban have yet to issue a statement regarding this incident. This case is the latest in a series of brutalities linked to the Taliban. Two days prior, the Taliban returned the mutilated remains of a Panjshir resident to his family. About a week earlier, another former official a presidential palace guard from Panjshir died by suicide after the Taliban detained his wife and subjected him to sustained harassment. Since their return to power, the Taliban have waged a systematic campaign of detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings targeting former military personnel. Reports over the past three years indicate that tens of thousands of individuals have been arrested, tortured, or killed under various pretexts. Both national and international sources confirm that the majority of those affected are ethnic Tajiks from provinces such as Panjshir, Baghlan, Badakhshan, Parwan, Kapisa, Herat, Takhar, and other northern regions.
Observers attribute the Taliban’s actions to two main factors: the detainees’ refusal to participate in the widespread destruction and conflict during the past two decades and their alleged affiliations with anti-Taliban resistance groups, including the National Resistance Front (NRF) and the Freedom Front, both of which are predominantly led by Tajiks. This pattern of persecution highlights the Taliban’s continued targeting of ethnic minorities and individuals linked to the previous government, starkly contradicting their claims of reconciliation and general amnesty.
