HERAT, Afghanistan — A young man in Herat was “tortured to death by the Taliban” and his body was handed over to his family a week after he was detained by the Taliban, local sources confirmed on Saturday.
A video confirmed by sources shows the man’s body with scars on it. The video shows the body of the man is surrounded by his relatives.
The victim, identified as Hekmatullah Barikzai, was detained by Taliban intelligence members a week ago, sources said.
His body, bearing signs of severe torture, was returned to his family on Friday, the sources said.
The video, provided by the sources, which Amu declined to release due to its graphic nature, shows the man’s body covered in scars.
Relatives of Barikzai can be seen in the video grieving and lamenting the torture inflicted on him.
Taliban has yet to comment on the incident.
Reports of arbitrary arrests and torture within the Taliban’s judicial system and prisons have been documented by human rights organizations.
Despite international pressure to respect human rights, the Taliban has shown little inclination to reform its governance practices.
