Taliban Official, Imprisoned For “Adultery”, Released After Order From Group’s Leader

Sources said that Abdul Ghani Haqbin, former counterterrorism chief of the Taliban Police in Kandahar has been released after an order by the group’s leader. Haqbin had been arrested by the Taliban intelligence agency on charges of “adultery” in Spin Boldak city six months ago.

Both Haqbin and Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada belong to the Noorzai tribe in southern Afghanistan.

Taliban sees adultery as a crime and has severely punished ordinary Afghan citizens accused of similar cases in the past.

On Thursday, Abdul Malik Haqqani, the deputy chief justice in the Taliban’s Supreme Court, announced that since taking power in Afghanistan the group had sentenced hundreds of people to “Qisas [retribution] and stoning”.

Haqqani said that the Taliban has ordered the execution of 175 people and the stoning of 37 people throughout Afghanistan since taking power in the country. He emphasised that the courts of this group have ordered four people to be put under the wall and Sharia laws have been implemented on 103 other people.

The images obtained by Afghanistan International show that a number of Taliban members have visited Kandahar prison to welcome the release of Abdul Ghani Haqbin.

Over the past few months, this group has arrested and tortured dozens of people on morality charges and extramarital affairs, including adultery. During this time, the Taliban have flogged many people in public.