RASC News Agency: Reports from Panjshir indicate that Taliban forces have once again arrested a teacher from Dara district, marking another escalation in their crackdown on residents of the province. In recent months, the Taliban have intensified detentions in Panjshir, targeting its inhabitants with increasing frequency. Within just the past week, the group has apprehended more than five individuals from various parts of the province. According to sources, on Thursday, January 16, the Taliban detained a teacher in the village of Mohammad Baik Khel, located in Dara district, and transferred him to an undisclosed location.
The detained individual, identified as Hashim Hashemi, is a teacher at Malik Mirza High School in Dara district. Notably, Hashemi was previously arrested and imprisoned by the Taliban on November 19 of this year, though the reasons behind his second detention remain unclear. The Taliban’s campaign of detaining Panjshiris has broadened in scope, with individuals being arrested and imprisoned on various charges. Over the past three years, the group has systematically targeted Panjshiri educators, subjecting many to imprisonment and, in some cases, fatal violence.
In one chilling instance during the early days of their occupation of Panjshir, the Taliban executed a schoolteacher named Mohammad Bilal in the Hesarak area of the province. Bilal was accused of wearing semi-military attire and was summarily shot while bound. The incident was recorded on video. Moreover, numerous other detainees have reportedly been subjected to torture, and many remain in Taliban custody. Residents of Panjshir accuse the Taliban of conducting arrests based on ethnic and linguistic discrimination, targeting individuals simply for being Tajik. These accusations align with earlier allegations that the Taliban systematically detain and persecute Tajiks under various pretexts.
