At least 565 people have been arrested in Balkh province by Taliban forces over the past year, Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported. Taliban police command in Balkh added that these people had been arrested in Mazar-i-Sharif and other districts on criminal charges.
Taliban officials also said that the cases of the arrested individuals have been sent to the Taliban judiciary.
The Taliban added that apart from the arrests, they have also seized 209 arms/weapons in the province.
This report comes at a time when the Taliban has been accused of arbitrary detentions, beatings, and killing of civilians in the past year.
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, it released thousands of prisoners, including members of the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), from Afghan prisons.
Despite Taliban’s claim to have established security around the country, the group has not been able to prevent IS-K attacks.
Recently, human rights organisations have stressed that the Taliban have failed in protecting the Hazaras and ethnic and religious minorities who have been under constant attacks from the IS-K.
