Afghan University Professor Hospitalised After His Release From Taliban Prison

Ismail Mashal, a university professor, has been hospitalised after being released from a Taliban prison. Relatives of Mashal told Afghanistan International that he is currently "vomiting blood and has mental health issues”.

The Taliban released Mashal on bail a month after his arrest on February 2 in Kabul.

According to reports, the Taliban torture their prisoners and get forced confessions from them. On the other hand, no human rights organisation monitors Taliban prisons and numerous reports have been published about prisoners not having access to health services and food while in Taliban detention and imprisonment.

However, the relatives of the Afghan university professor did not explain the reasons for his health conditions.

Ismail Mashal has been an advocate and campaigner for the right to education of Afghan girls and women under the Taliban regime. He tore up his academic documents in protest against the Taliban’s decision to ban girls’ education in universities in Afghanistan and later donated his personal books to girls in the streets of Kabul.

The Taliban arrested Mashal and announced that his arrest was due to his "provocative actions against the Taliban regime”.