RASC News Agency: Local sources in Khost province have reported the arrest of a former government army official by the Taliban group. The apprehension occurred in the province’s center last Thursday, after which the official was taken to an undisclosed location. The arrested individual, identified as Fazal Rahman, held the responsibility for overseeing the “army brigade facilities” of the previous government in Khost province. The motive behind this arrest remains murky, yet it is noteworthy that the Taliban has been specifically targeting and mistreating former military personnel across different regions following their ascent to power.
Recent reports from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) cast light upon the Taliban’s conduct during their rule over the nation. According to the UNAMA report, the Taliban has been accountable for 800 extrajudicial killings, along with instances of torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary detentions, and disappearances. The report also highlights the Taliban’s utilization of various forms of torture and inappropriate practices within prisons administered by the Ministry of Interior and the General Directorate of Intelligence. Despite these allegations, the Taliban remains steadfast in denying any wrongdoing and adamantly refuses to hold itself accountable to human rights institutions.
The apprehension of the former government army official in Khost province is emblematic of the wider spectrum of the Taliban’s treatment towards Afghanistani citizens. Ever since seizing control, the Taliban has relentlessly targeted and mistreated military personnel who served under the previous government. Although the motives behind these arrests and mistreatment are shrouded in ambiguity, the UNAMA report provides compelling evidence of the Taliban’s flagrant disregard for human rights, evident in their deployment of torture and other nefarious methodologies during interrogations. The persistence of Taliban’s denial regarding these allegations further amplifies their obstinacy in evading accountability for their actions.
