RASC News Agency: An Iranian tourist who recently traveled to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan has spoken out after being arbitrarily detained by the group in Ghazni Province, saying the experience has entirely changed his perception of the country and left him unwilling to ever return. According to the traveler, who documented part of the incident in a video circulated on social media, Taliban gunmen detained him without providing any justification. He was held for 24 hours in a local Taliban outpost, denied access to his family, and offered no legal explanation or rights underscoring the regime’s deeply erratic and authoritarian security apparatus.
“I was stopped without warning, taken away like a criminal, and not even told why,” he said. “For a full day, I was held in isolation, unable to contact my family or anyone outside.” The tourist, who had entered Afghanistan with a stated goal of fostering cultural understanding and breaking down regional stereotypes, speculated that the Taliban may have mistaken him for another individual who had previously shared a satirical video online. “Even if there was a misunderstanding, the way they treated me as though I were a dangerous criminal was beyond unacceptable.”
He emphasized that the experience erased all positive impressions he had gained during his short stay, noting that despite the hospitality of ordinary citizens, the overarching climate of fear, repression, and lawlessness made Afghanistan an unviable destination for travelers. “All the good moments I had were completely overshadowed by this one act of intimidation,” he said. “They treated me with suspicion and hostility simply because I was a foreigner.” The tourist’s testimony adds to a growing list of disturbing accounts involving the Taliban’s treatment of both local and foreign civilians. Under the group’s draconian rule, arbitrary detentions, harassment, and censorship have become normalized, raising serious concerns about the country’s legal and human rights environment.
He warned fellow travelers against visiting Afghanistan, stating plainly: “The security situation is utterly unpredictable. You can be detained, interrogated, or worse without reason or recourse. No one is safe, not even tourists who come in peace.” In recent years, especially following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghanistan has seen a sharp rise in the persecution of journalists, women, civil society actors, and now even international tourists. Despite claims of moderation, the regime has continued to enforce ultra-conservative policies through intimidation, arbitrary violence, and the systematic dismantling of basic freedoms.
The Iranian tourist concluded his remarks with a stark assessment:
“Afghanistan under the Taliban is a closed, paranoid society. Their regime is not only hostile to its own people it’s unwelcoming to the outside world. What happened to me is a small example of a much larger tragedy unfolding in that country.”
