Residents of Paryan district in Panjshir province held a demonstration against the detention and torture of a former member of the Afghanistan security forces by the Taliban. Sources confirmed that protesters had gathered from several villages in Paryan district on Wednesday.
Sources added that the Taliban have tried to prevent the spread of the demonstrations to other areas.
The former soldier who has been detained by the Taliban had returned to a civilian job after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
Sources told Afghanistan International that on Monday the Taliban detained two brothers of this former soldier, tortured them, and then released them. The group, however, raided the former soldier’s home and detained him on Tuesday.
According to sources, on Wednesday morning, the Taliban delivered the former soldier back to his family, but with broken arms, because of severe torture.
The Taliban members attempted to enter the former soldier’s home when they were met with protests from the family members and other villagers.
The sources confirmed that the Taliban officials have also arrested two other residents of Paryan district.
According to sources, protesters in Paryan shouted anti-Taliban slogans. Many of the protesters were women residents of Paryan district.
The Taliban have told residents of Paryan that a delegation of Taliban officials will meet with the protesters in Paryan district.
The protests in Paryan take place at a time when, according to sources, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan is on a visit to Panjshir province. Sources said that Bennett will meet with Taliban officials during his trip to Panjshir.
