KABUL, (TDI): The Taliban have arrested Abdul Qadir Qanit, a prominent religious scholar and former head of the Council for the Protection of Religious and Jihadi Values.
According to media reports, Qanit recently appeared in Afghan media as an expert on religious affairs, where he openly criticized the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s education. His arrest is part of a broader pattern of repression targeting individuals who challenge the Taliban’s policies.
In a troubling development, the Taliban have issued a list of approved analysts to media outlets, instructing them to invite only those individuals for commentary. This move aims to stifle independent thought and limit public discourse. Qanit’s arrest follows that of political analyst Javid Kohistani, who was taken from the Khair Khana neighborhood of Kabul and transported to an undisclosed location.
The Taliban have not publicly commented on the arrests of either Qanit or Kohistani, nor have they addressed the ongoing detentions of other scholars and analysts. Human rights organizations internationally have condemned these actions, labeling them as blatant violations of free speech and human dignity.
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Despite the increasing number of arrests, the Taliban have remained silent about their motivations, leaving many Afghans deeply concerned about the future of free expression under their regime. The growing climate of fear has stifled open dialogue, prompting calls for accountability and the protection of fundamental rights in Afghanistan.
