Sources in Nangarhar have informed Afghanistan International that at least 231 former members of the Afghan National Army, Police, and National Directorate of Security (NDS) are being held in a Taliban prison.
According to these sources, the Taliban detained these individuals without any specific charges.
Some of the imprisoned individuals, who wished to remain anonymous, told Afghanistan International's Pashto service that none of them know the reason for their detention, and the Taliban have provided no explanation to them.
Many of these prisoners have been in custody for nearly two and a half years, yet their fate remains uncertain.
Most of the detainees were arrested by the Taliban's Intelligence Directorate, Police Command, and the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Nangarhar.
One prisoner stated, "If Mullah Hibatullah's amnesty applies to everyone, then why are we still in prison? Yes, we served in the national army, some were in the police, and some in the NDS; but after the regime change, we left our duties, and I even started a shop in my village."
Another detainee, who identified himself as Rahmanullah, mentioned that his family struggles to visit him in prison. Rahmanullah also revealed that the former soldiers in Jalalabad prison had written to the Taliban governor in Nangarhar, requesting a decision on their fate, but they have yet to receive a response.
He added, "What kind of amnesty is this? Either kill us all or take us to court so we can understand what our charges are." He also mentioned that the staff of the Taliban's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice refer to them as "slaves of infidels" and subject them to psychological and emotional torture.
Meanwhile, a source in Nangarhar province told Afghanistan International that a meeting was held earlier last month to discuss the fate of these prisoners.
According to this source, during the administrative meeting, representatives from the province, intelligence, and police command were assigned the task of reviewing the cases of the 231 former security personnel and then presenting them to the court.
The source further stated that the Taliban's Intelligence Directorate and Police Command would investigate the records of former army soldiers and NDS members to determine how many battles they had participated in and whether they had killed anyone during the conflict.
Nangarhar province had the highest number of soldiers serving in the ranks of the former security forces.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has reported on several occasions that the Taliban has imprisoned, tortured, and even executed former soldiers and government employees; however, the group has repeatedly denied these allegations.
