Taliban Publish Law On Property Of Missing Persons

Yaqobi responded on Sunday, May 31, to recent remarks by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a post on X. She said that, as a former prisoner, she could confirm that torture is widespread in Taliban-run detention centres.

Speaking to Afghanistan International on Saturday, Mujahid rejected reports of torture in prisons and detention facilities, saying that any mistreatment of detainees is prohibited under Taliban laws.

Yaqobi wrote: “My colleagues and I were among those detained for seeking justice. We were held for 41 days in the worst conditions, including solitary confinement, and experienced various forms of torture and forced confessions in Directorate 40 of the intelligence agency.”

Mujahid said: “There is absolutely no torture in prisons and such acts are completely forbidden. According to our laws, from the moment of arrest until detention and release, no torture is carried out.”

The Taliban spokesman distinguished between “torture” and “legal punishment”, saying individuals are punished only in accordance with Sharia rulings and in proportion to their crimes, not arbitrarily.

In November 2022, the Taliban arrested Zarifa Yaqobi i, a women’s rights activist, along with several of her colleagues during a press conference in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul.

Yaqobi said: “As someone who knows the conditions inside Taliban prisons, I confirm that various forms of torture exist there, and I reject the statements made by the Taliban spokesman.”

The remarks come as the United Nations Security Council reported on May 29 that Taliban officials and forces had committed sexual violence against women. The report stated that the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented 21 cases of sexual violence, including gang rape, against 15 women and six girls in 2025.

Zarifa Yaqobi, a human rights activist, was arrested by the Taliban following street protests in November 2022 and released after 40 days in detention.

Sources close to Katawazai said on Saturday, May 30, that his wife was travelling with him, but US security officials allowed her to leave Washington Dulles Airport.

According to the sources, several other Afghan migrants with US green cards were also detained after travelling to Afghanistan.

Reports indicate that two days have passed since the detention of the former Afghan official and businessman, but US security agencies and authorities have not yet made any official statement regarding his arrest.

Mirza Katawazai, who served for a period as deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s House of Representatives under the former government, continued his business activities inside Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power.

Previously, in early August last year, informed sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban had arrested around 20 associates of Mohammad Mirza Katawazai on accusations of forging land documents. Sources at the time said the individuals had been detained on the orders of Taliban Justice Minister Abdul Hakim Sharayi and transferred to his personal prison.

Last August, Afghanistan International obtained an official letter from the Taliban’s Commission for the Prevention of Land Grabbing, in which Abdul Hakim Sharayi, head of the commission, instructed various institutions to cancel Katawazai’s contracts. The letter stated that Mirza Katawazai was involved in smuggling various goods.

Meanwhile, some social media users have accused Mirza Katawazai of laundering money for certain Taliban officials, including Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Sources say Katawazai maintained close ties with several Taliban officials, including the group’s interior minister. Some photographs published by the Taliban’s Interior Ministry show Katawazai alongside Sirajuddin Haqqani.

So far, neither Mirza Katawazai nor his family members have publicly commented on his detention or responded to the allegations against him.

At the same time, he stressed that the agreement was not a defence-security pact and should not cause concern for other countries.

Speaking to reporters at Kabul airport on Saturday, the Taliban defence minister described his visit to Moscow as successful and shared details of the military and technical cooperation agreement signed with Russia.

He said the agreement focuses solely on the repair and maintenance of Russian-made weapons systems. “As you can see, there are many Russian weapons in Afghanistan, including helicopters and aircraft, which need repair. We are obliged to sign agreements with the countries that manufactured these weapons so that we can use this equipment properly,” he said.

On Wednesday, May 27, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Taliban Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid signed a security agreement on the sidelines of the International Security Forum near Moscow. The details of the document have not yet been made public.

The security agreements between Russia and the Taliban have fuelled speculation about the nature of the cooperation.

“We Can Also Reach Agreements With the US”

In another part of his remarks, Yaqoob Mujahid sought to reduce international concerns surrounding the agreement. He insisted the document posed no threat or danger to any country and would instead contribute to regional security.

He even referred to the possibility of cooperation with Washington, saying: “We can have such agreements with the United States as well, since many American weapons were also left here.”

However, he stressed that Afghanistan needs an “air defence system” and said the Taliban would later consider from which countries such a system could be imported. He added that implementation of the agreement with Russia would begin soon.

Responding to Pakistan’s Concerns

The Taliban defence minister openly referred to Islamabad’s anger and concern over Kabul’s recent actions, saying the agreement had caused unease in Pakistan. In a warning tone, he added: “In the near future, we will try to ensure that Pakistan no longer dares to attack [Afghan territory].”

The remarks come amid growing tensions after Pakistani military rocket and air strikes targeted border areas inside Afghanistan in recent months.

On May 11, Pakistan’s defence minister warned that the country could launch decisive operations against the Afghan Taliban in response to militant attacks on a police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Khawaja Asif said Pakistan would treat the Taliban in Afghanistan the same way it had dealt with India during last year’s conflict.

Pakistan has consistently accused the Taliban of sheltering militants from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and in recent months has carried out air strikes deep inside Afghanistan, including in Kabul.

During the international security conference in Moscow, the Taliban defence minister also said the Taliban administration needed a professional defence system. “We want a professional defence system that ensures Afghanistan’s security and plays a positive role in regional stability,” he said.

According to the documents, the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry signed a contract with a private company based in the United Arab Emirates to design and manage the websites.

The contract states that the company will be responsible for creating all websites related to diplomatic missions under Taliban administration.

The websites are also intended to provide services such as online visa applications, passport distribution and authentication of official documents, with separate systems designed for each service.

On the websites, the Taliban has replaced the title “Islamic Republic of Afghanistan” with “Islamic Emirate” and substituted Afghanistan’s national flag with the group’s white banner. In various sections of the sites, there are no images of women.

The Taliban has so far released no details about the contract, its cost or the terms of cooperation with the Dubai-based company.

Several former Afghan diplomats in Europe told Afghanistan International that handing over citizens’ identity documents and personal information to a private company raises serious concerns about data security and the privacy of Afghans.

According to them, giving a private company access to official citizen data could increase the risk of misuse of personal information.

Although no country other than Russia has formally recognised the Taliban, control of several Afghan embassies and consulates in some European countries has been handed to diplomats affiliated with the group.

He said the continuation of this process would contribute to the economic development of the Anzali Free Zone.

According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, Taati-Moghaddam said that under the development plans for Caspian Port, a direct ship-to-rail cargo transfer system would soon become operational. He added that this measure, alongside legal incentives and the advantages of the Anzali Free Zone, would reduce fuel transit costs and strengthen Iran’s competitive position in international trade corridors.

Taati-Moghaddam noted that with the full operation of this railway route, the annual fuel transit capacity through Caspian Port would steadily increase. He said this would not only boost the economic growth of the Anzali Free Zone but also reinforce Iran’s role as a regional logistics hub.

He also stated that expanding this route would facilitate trade with Central Asian and Eurasian countries and support the development of combined sea-rail transport for other goods, including petrochemical products and grain.

The Iranian official explained that linking this route to neighbouring countries’ railway networks would provide economic actors with access to wider regional markets.

The new fuel transit route comes as the Taliban administration, following tensions with Pakistan, halted trade with Islamabad and expanded commercial ties with Iran, Russia and Central Asian countries.