Taliban Confirms Data Breach Amidst Major Cyberattack

According to sources, Karim Khan, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has accused the two Taliban leaders of crimes against humanity, specifically gender-based violence. In gathering evidence to support the arrest warrant request, Khan’s office has engaged with various groups, including women’s rights activists, human rights defenders, Afghan politicians, and Taliban members.

It remains unclear what ranks and positions these Taliban members hold or how they managed to testify or provide evidence against their leader.

ICC Expected to Issue Arrest Warrants

In January 2024, Karim Khan announced that his office had submitted two arrest warrant requests to the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber II. The court’s 18 judges are expected to review the case in the coming weeks, with a decision anticipated by the end of this month.

The ICC’s chief prosecutor stated that the evidence collected provides reasonable grounds to hold Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani criminally responsible for crimes against humanity and gender-based violence.

According to Khan’s office, the Taliban has committed multiple crimes, including murder, imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and other inhumane acts.

Taliban Responds to ICC Arrest Warrants

The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed the ICC’s actions as politically motivated. The group argues that the ICC should not impose a specific interpretation of human rights while ignoring religious and national values of different societies.

In response to mounting international pressure, including the ICC prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has reportedly told Taliban members “not to fear Western countries’ threats.”

The ICC has previously issued arrest warrants for leaders of Russia, Israel, and Hamas, marking its continued efforts to prosecute those accused of serious violations of international law.

The leaked files also indicate that dozens of foreign nationals, including six women, are in Taliban custody.

These documents, which contain sensitive information from several Taliban ministries and directorates, were recently published on a website named “Talibleaks.” A significant portion of the leaked files pertains to the Directorate of Prisons, covering both central and provincial prisons.

18,000 People Held in Taliban Custody

According to the leaked records, the total number of detainees in prisons and detention centres across Kabul and the provinces amounts to around 18,000 individuals, including 16,507 men and more than 1,300 Afghan women. Among the detainees, 63 foreign men are also in custody.

The total number of detained and imprisoned women includes 1,374 Afghan women and six foreign women. Of the foreign nationals held in Taliban prisons or detention centres, 31 men are prisoners, while 32 men are under detention. Additionally, two foreign women are imprisoned, and four others are detained.

Foreign Nationals Among Those Held

The leaked files include a detailed table listing the number of detainees across various provinces: In Herat, three men and two women have been imprisoned. In Nangarhar, 11 foreign men and one foreign woman are under detention. Kunar, which borders Pakistan, has reported five detained individuals. In Kandahar, one foreign man has been imprisoned, while eight others are detained.

The table does not specify the identities or nationalities of the foreign detainees.

Highest Number of Detainees in Kabul

The list, dated 5 October 2023, indicates that Kabul has the highest number of detainees. According to the report: 1,372 men are being held in Pul-e-Charkhi prison. 1,817 individuals are in various detention facilities across Kabul. The highest numbers of imprisoned women were recorded in: Herat 96 women; Kabul 70 women; Samangan 36 women. The highest numbers of detained women were found in Kabul 209 women; Herat 126 women; Balkh 112 women; and Samangan 14 women.

Provincial Breakdown of Imprisoned and Detained Women

The leaked documents also detail the number of female detainees and prisoners across other provinces: In Parwan – 19 prisoners, 25 detainees; Sar-e-Pol – 18 prisoners, 17 detainees; Jowzjan – 18 prisoners, 55 detainees; Kandahar – 14 prisoners, 45 detainees; Takhar – 35 detainees; Farah – 19 prisoners; Ghazni – 13 prisoners, 36 detainees, and Khost – 26 detainees.

Massive Data Breach a Blow to Taliban’s Information Security

This leaked table represents just a fraction of the thousands of classified documents now in the public domain. Portions of these records have been accessed by Afghanistan International.

The release of these files marks a major setback for the Taliban’s efforts to control information. The group has consistently attempted to restrict access to data and censor the media, but this breach has exposed significant details about their governance and security operations.

The directive, issued by the Directorate for Supervision and Execution of Orders—formerly the Attorney General’s Office—states that these individuals are banned from international travel due to “numerous cases related to them, each containing dozens of volumes.”

Taliban Leader’s Direct Order

According to official documents, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, has personally ordered that these individuals cannot leave Afghanistan without his written approval.

This move comes despite the Taliban’s earlier announcement of a “general amnesty” for former government officials following their takeover of power in August 2021. Since then, however, the group has compiled hundreds of pages of files on these individuals.

Leaked Documents Expose Travel Restrictions

Recently, a hacking group leaked hundreds of pages of classified Taliban documents from several key ministries, including the Directorate for Supervision and Execution of Orders. Portions of these documents have been accessed and shared with Afghanistan International.

One official memorandum on the travel ban also states that any Taliban officials with related criminal or personal files are similarly barred from leaving the country without the Taliban leader’s permission.

Unclear Legal Proceedings Against Former Officials

The details of the charges against former officials remain unclear. However, the documents suggest that the Taliban intends to pursue multiple cases against them.

It is still unknown how many of these individuals have been interrogated, had their cases reviewed in Taliban courts, or received formal verdicts. The Taliban has not provided further clarification on the legal status of these cases.

The decree mandates that intelligence officers withdraw from these ministries and other governmental bodies. However, if operational or intelligence activities are required within these institutions, they must be coordinated with senior officials from the respective ministries to ensure full collaboration.

The order was issued by Noor-ul-Haq Anwar, Director-General of Administrative Affairs, and communicated to the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and other government agencies.

Unprecedented Data Leak in Afghanistan

This decree is part of thousands of leaked documents published online by an anonymous hacking group. Afghanistan International has obtained access to portions of these records, marking an unprecedented intelligence leak in Afghanistan.

Although previous reports have suggested tensions between the Taliban’s security agencies, particularly between the Intelligence Directorate and the Ministry of Interior, the leaked documents do not specify why intelligence personnel are being removed from these ministries but not from other government institutions.

The Taliban’s intelligence agency has played a key role in surveillance, and crime prevention since the group’s return to power.

According to documents leaked by a hacking group, the ministry surveyed 500 individuals in each province, focusing on issues such as the promotion of religious virtue and the enforcement of hijab regulations.

The survey was conducted in Helmand, Bamiyan, Kunar, Paktika, Sar-e Pol, Samangan, Maidan Wardak, Baghlan, Kapisa, Paktia, Jowzjan, and Laghman provinces. In total, 6,000 people participated in the study, and 479,800 Afghanis were allocated from the ministry’s budget for its implementation.

Survey Findings on Hijab Compliance

One of the primary questions posed in the survey was: “What percentage of people in your area observe Islamic hijab?”

According to the report, 86 percent of respondents claimed that hijab was “100 percent observed” in their communities, while 14 percent selected the 40 percent option.

However, the Taliban’s report noted that in Bamiyan province, women’s approach to hijab is influenced by Shia Islamic beliefs, and many do not adhere to the Taliban’s strict dress code.

Another question asked: “Do you have knowledge about promoting virtue and preventing vice?”

A majority—68 percent—claimed to have “complete knowledge” on the subject, while 66 percent of respondents expressed “full satisfaction” with the ministry’s morality enforcement.

Taliban’s Observations on Bamiyan’s Population

The Taliban’s ministry expressed concern over social interactions between men and women in educational institutions, healthcare centres, and government offices in Bamiyan, stating that gender segregation policies had not been properly implemented. The report described this as a “failure of the enforcers.”

According to the Taliban, only 10 percent of Bamiyan’s women adhere to what they define as “Islamic hijab”, and these are primarily rural women travelling into urban areas. The report also claimed: “Urban women do not observe hijab at all.”

Despite 78 percent of Bamiyan’s respondents claiming that hijab is observed, the Taliban noted that many locals consider fitted or thin clothing to be acceptable hijab, arguing that this interpretation aligns with their sectarian beliefs.

The Taliban further alleged that foreign influences, including an influx of domestic and international tourists, have eroded Islamic values in Bamiyan. The report accused Western countries of attempting to “distance the people of Bamiyan from Islam” and foreign organisations of spreading Western culture.

Taliban’s Allegations Against the Aga Khan Foundation

The Taliban report claimed that more than 60 foreign organisations are operating in Bamiyan, alleging that some, including the Aga Khan Foundation, have attempted to convert locals to Christianity.

The ministry’s report stated: “During the Republic era, the Aga Khan Foundation was visibly active, and those who accepted its invitation were sent abroad.”

Although the report acknowledged that the organisation remains active, it suggested that its missionary activities are no longer as visible.

Sectarian Differences in Bamiyan

The Taliban’s ministry cited differences between Shia and Sunni scholars in Bamiyan as a major obstacle to enforcing religious policies, particularly in relation to Friday prayers and the promotion of virtue. The report claimed that Shia scholars regard such matters as “optional recommendations.”

The survey also highlighted the lack of religious schools in Bamiyan, which the Taliban described as contributing to “religious negligence.”

Additionally, the report noted that although two mosques exist in the province’s centre—one Shia and one Sunni—both are too far from the main market for the call to prayer to be widely heard. The ministry estimated that 20,000 people visit Bamiyan’s central market daily, yet “half of them do not pray.”

The Taliban also lamented that despite three years of their rule, local radio stations in Bamiyan continue to broadcast music and songs, which they view as a violation of their moral directives.

Crackdown on Salafi Followers in Kunar

The Taliban’s survey also reported sectarian disputes in Kunar, particularly regarding the way Salafi followers perform religious practices.

The report noted that Salafis perform the Taraweeh prayer with only eight rakats instead of 20, deliver a single sermon for Friday prayers, and say seven Takbirs during Eid prayers. Additionally, Salafis were criticised for reciting funeral prayers aloud and for an extended duration.

The Taliban claimed that both the local population and the ministry’s enforcers have struggled to control Salafi followers, and that the group has actively prevented the growth of the Salafi movement in Kunar.

The ministry also warned that most teachers in Kunar’s religious schools follow the Salafi sect, arguing that this “corrupts the younger generation and distances them from their true faith.”