Taliban Releases Cleric Accused of Teenage Girls’ Sexual Assault in Northern Afghanistan

Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban released a cleric who has been accused of sexually assaulting and photographing two teenage girls in Takhar province.

According to sources, the cleric, who is a supporter of the group, had been detained temporarily by the Taliban.

Last week, pictures of Mawlawi Fazl Menallah were published, which showed him sexually abusing two teenage girls.

According to sources, one of the teenage girls who the pro-Taliban cleric assaulted and photographed was the daughter of a soldier of the previous Afghan government.

According to local sources, Mawlawi Fazl Menallah was one of the Taliban members during the previous reign of the Taliban government. He does not have an official position in the current Taliban government, but the cleric supports the group.

The published photos show that the cleric took photos and videos of himself with his mobile phone while sexually assaulting the teenage girls.

Following the broadcast of these images and the reactions they provoked in the media and social networks, the Taliban arrested Mullah Fazl Menallah, but he was released three days later.

This dual behaviour of the Taliban group with those accused of moral crimes in Afghanistan has garnered headlines many times.

Last month, the court of this group acquitted Mullah Ahmad Akhund, the appointed director of the group for the Electricity Directorate in Kabul. It was preceded by a video showing Mullah Ahmad sleeping with one of his young bodyguards.