RASC News Agency: Local sources in Daykundi province report that the Taliban have arrested ten teachers in the Sangtakht and Bandar district, accusing them of proselytizing Christianity. According to a verified source, the detained educators were affiliated with the New Horizon Educational Center and were taken into custody under charges of religious propagation. The source further stated that on Wednesday, February 26, the teachers had been summoned to the Taliban’s primary court in the district center. Following the hearing, they were detained by the group’s security command.
This is not the first time such arrests have occurred. On January 12, Taliban authorities had previously detained several instructors from New Horizon, only to release them three days later on bail. The New Horizon Educational Center, which operated in four locations across Sangtakht and Bandar district, provided English language courses and computer skills training. However, all its branches were forcibly shut down in January. Following this closure, the Taliban extended their crackdown to other provinces, shutting down the center’s offices in Khadir district of Daykundi, as well as in Ghor and Bamyan provinces, and arresting its faculty and staff.
While the Taliban claim these arrests are due to alleged Christian missionary activities, previous reports suggested that the school was initially targeted for enrolling female students. Since returning to power, the Taliban have enforced draconian restrictions on women’s education, banning girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade and prohibiting them from participating in private courses. The group declared that this decree would remain in effect until further notice. Now, more than two years later, the future of girls’ education in Afghanistan remains uncertain, with the Taliban remaining silent on the possibility of reopening schools.
