Taliban intelligence members have detained a social media activist in southeastern Khost province for publishing critical posts online, local sources told Amu TV.
The activist, identified as Mohammadullah Gran, was arrested earlier this week. Relatives said his detention was linked to critical commentary he had shared on Facebook.
Sources added that after his arrest, Taliban officials deleted the posts from his account. They said Gran frequently wrote about social issues, which drew the ire of local Taliban authorities.
“One of his close relatives said he had been summoned several times by Taliban offices in Khost and warned against publishing critical content,” a source said.
Taliban have not commented publicly on the case. However, sources said Gran’s file has been transferred to the Taliban judiciary, where he faces charges of “propaganda against the Taliban system.”
Rights groups and activists say the Taliban have increasingly targeted critics in recent months. On Tuesday, two people in Kunduz were detained for alleged “propaganda on social media.” Earlier, Farooq Azam, an adviser to the Taliban Ministry of Energy and Water, was arrested after criticizing Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and urging the deployment of female nurses to earthquake-hit areas of Kunar province.
Human rights monitors say such arrests highlight the Taliban’s ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression and civic activism since returning to power in 2021.
