Taliban Leader Calls Intelligence Agency ‘Backbone’ Of The Regime
In a recent gathering held in Kandahar, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada declared that the group’s intelligence apparatus constitutes the “backbone” of its regime.
In a recent gathering held in Kandahar, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada declared that the group’s intelligence apparatus constitutes the “backbone” of its regime.
According to an official statement released by the Taliban, Akhundzada urged intelligence officers to neutralise both the overt and covert “subversive” plans of the enemy.
In a statement issued on Saturday by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, Akhundzada addressed the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), instructing them not to allow any disrespect or insult toward Islamic values and religious symbols.
He further called on the intelligence services to collaborate with other governmental bodies in enforcing Sharia law and shaping public opinion in line with Islamic principles.
Despite the gravity of the event, the Taliban did not release any photographs or video footage of their leader’s attendance at the seminar.
The Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence is widely regarded as one of the group’s most feared and repressive institutions. Reports indicate that the majority of arrests in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan are carried out by the GDI, with detainees often subjected to brutal methods, including torture and humiliation while in custody.
Nevertheless, Akhundzada instructed intelligence officers to avoid arresting individuals based on suspicion alone, to treat people with compassion, refrain from mistreating prisoners, protect confidential information, and remain committed to enforcing Islamic law.
Multiple reports have emerged documenting the deaths of detainees in Taliban prisons, particularly in facilities run by the GDI.
Over the past four years, the Taliban have arrested thousands of individuals, including journalists, civil society activists, former military personnel, and employees of the previous government, on a variety of charges.
Last year, Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, reported that women held in Taliban prisons had been subjected to sexual violence. According to the report, several “credible sources” testified to instances of rape and sexual assault within these facilities. Bennett expressed deep concern over the scale of sexual abuse against female detainees.
At least ten women have independently told Afghanistan International that they were subjected to sexual violence while in Taliban custody. Eight of them reported being raped, while two others stated that Taliban members filmed and photographed their naked bodies during interrogations.
Morteza Behboudi, an Afghan-French journalist who was imprisoned for seven months by the Taliban’s intelligence agency, stated that his teeth were pulled out and he was tortured with electric shocks and forced injections. He revealed that he was tortured daily during the first three months of his detention.
