KABUL, Afghanistan — The arrests of three religious scholars critical of the Taliban leader have triggered condemnation from Islamic scholars, former prosecutors, and human rights advocates, who say the detentions are part of a broader crackdown on dissent.
The clerics—Abdul Qadir Qanit, Mahmood Hassan, and Abdul Aziz Shuja—were taken into custody by the Taliban’s intelligence agency in recent days after speaking out against the Taliban’s policies, especially the monopoly of power by the Taliban leader in Kandahar, according to sources familiar with the matter. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Clerics and legal experts say the detentions reflect the Taliban’s increasing intolerance of opposing voices.
“The Taliban do not tolerate dissent,” said Zia Badakhsh, an Islamic scholar. “They use arbitrary arrests, threats, and even torture to silence critics, just as they did with protesting women. I fear the same treatment for Mr. Qanit and Mr. Hassan.”
At a press conference earlier this week in Kabul, religious scholars urged the Taliban to form an inclusive government and restore rights for women and girls. Mr. Hassan, one of the arrested clerics, had publicly criticized the centralization of power in Kandahar, saying, “Step out of Kandahar—other provinces are also part of Afghanistan.”
His fellow cleric, Shuja, had emphasized the importance of education for both men and women. “Anyone with knowledge, whether man or woman, has a high status in the eyes of God,” he said.
Shortly after the event, Taliban intelligence forces arrested the three clerics, sources said.
Former prosecutors say such arrests are designed to spread fear.
“The Taliban want to send a message: Anyone who dares to criticize them will be silenced,” said Ghulam Farooq Aleem, a former prosecutor.
Qanit had been arrested once before in October but was released after two days in detention.
Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban have increasingly relied on arbitrary arrests and intimidation tactics to suppress opposition, human rights advocates say. Rights groups have also reported that journalist Mahdi Ansari and filmmaker and media worker Sayed Rahim Saeedi remain in Taliban custody.
Taliban officials have not publicly commented on the latest detentions.
