Taliban Denies Lawyer, Family Visits To Teacher Sentenced To Death In Paktika
A teacher in Paktika province has been sentenced to death by a Taliban court without access to legal counsel or family visits, according to local sources.
A teacher in Paktika province has been sentenced to death by a Taliban court without access to legal counsel or family visits, according to local sources.
The teacher, Abdul Alim Khamoosh, was reportedly detained for comments made in support of modern education.
The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has claimed the sentencing followed complaints from religious scholars. However, sources say the proceedings took place without legal representation and without the family being informed.
Khamoosh was previously sentenced to two years in prison after allegedly stating during the Iran-Israel conflict that modern sciences held more value than religious teachings. Following public and international attention, the Taliban reportedly revised the charges to include blasphemy, resulting in the death sentence.
Local tribal elders from Janikhel district are expected to travel to Kabul to appeal the sentence. Some sources have alleged that Khamoosh was tortured in custody and forced to confess to charges of insulting Islamic sanctities.
The case has raised concerns among rights organisations about the Taliban’s use of closed trials, corporal punishments, and harsh penalties under their interpretation of Sharia law.
Khamoosh had returned to Afghanistan through the Taliban’s so-called “invitation commission” after previously leaving the country. His family has been warned not to speak to the media and has not been allowed to visit him in detention. The total details of his trial remain undisclosed.
