RASC News Agency: Local sources in Herat report that the Taliban executed a young man, Mojtaba, after stopping him at a checkpoint. The incident occurred on Saturday, October 19, in the “Number One” area of the 4th district of Herat city, where Mojtaba, while riding a motorcycle, was shot dead by Taliban forces. The young man, approximately 23 years old, resided in the Pul-e-Rangina neighborhood of Herat but hailed originally from the village of Shadijan in the Enjil district.
Reports indicate that the Taliban handed Mojtaba’s body back to his family the following day but coerced them into agreeing not to file any complaints against the group. As of now, the Taliban have issued no statements regarding this killing. This is not the first time the Taliban have committed such acts at checkpoints. Citizens frequently report that the group’s fighters, now acting as de facto security personnel, exhibit violent and unprofessional behavior. Many in Herat and across Afghanistan accuse the Taliban of excessive brutality, citing their aggressive conduct and frequent acts of arbitrary violence.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, numerous young men have been intentionally and arbitrarily killed without accountability. Despite calls from human rights organizations for the Taliban to treat Afghanistani citizens humanely and end arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings, the group has continued to act with impunity, disregarding the rights of the Afghanistani people and ignoring international appeals.
