RASC News Agency: Authorities within the Taliban’s Prison Administration have disclosed that more than 20,000 individuals are currently held in the prisons and detention centers under their control. Reports indicate that these prisoners are subjected to constant torture and severe mistreatment, enduring extremely harsh conditions. The reports further reveal that these detainees often face brutal torture, inflicted arbitrarily by Taliban members. Ahmad Yusuf Mustari, the head of the Taliban’s Prison Administration, announced in a press conference today Sunday, September 1st, that 11,000 people, including 1,000 women, are imprisoned in these facilities. Among them, approximately 700 are minors.
These detainees are primarily arrested and tortured for their ethnicity, intellectualism, or for being Panjshiris. Mustari also mentioned that around 10,000 to 12,000 individuals are held in detention, still awaiting court decisions and thus not yet classified as prisoners or convicts. Mohammad Nasim Lalahand, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s Prison Administration, stated that the total number of prisoners and detainees exceeds 20,000. When questioned about the duration of detention, he deferred to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, providing no clear answer.
Lalahand did not provide a gender-specific breakdown of the detainees. However, Mustari mentioned that approximately 150 foreign nationals are currently imprisoned by the Taliban. In response to inquiries about American citizens being detained, Mustari denied their presence in civilian prisons but conceded that they might be held in the administration’s detention centers. It is reported that two American citizens are currently in Taliban custody. Mustari further disclosed that most foreign nationals held in civilian prisons are from neighboring countries, convicted of crimes such as fraud, forgery, and embezzlement.
According to officials from the Taliban’s Prison Administration, based on orders from the group’s leader, during the months of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha, a total of 3,200 prisoners were released, and the sentences of 1,655 others were reduced. The administration also claims that 2,241 prisoners have graduated from various religious education programs, while 6,408 others are currently engaged in religious studies. Additionally, 1,954 prisoners have completed literacy programs, and 2,350 others are still in training.
The Taliban’s systematic use of torture and arbitrary detention has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, yet the international community’s response remains largely muted, allowing these atrocities to continue unchecked. The Taliban’s prisons have become a symbol of their oppressive rule, where justice and human dignity are disregarded entirely.
