Associates of Mawlawi Bashir Ahmad Hanafi, a religious scholar from Helmand province, have informed Afghanistan International that the Taliban group has detained the cleric following his return from Egypt.
This marks the second time this critical religious scholar has been arrested by the Taliban.
According to received reports, the Taliban detained the cleric last week, and he is currently being held in Lashkargah prison, the center of Helmand province. The exact reasons for this detention have not yet been announced by Taliban authorities.
Hanafi’s associates emphasized that this religious scholar was also detained by the Taliban group last year. This action comes amid a wave of arrests of critics by the Taliban, raising concerns about the state of freedom of expression and civil rights in Afghanistan.
