Several Kabul residents claim that the Taliban's Minister of Justice, Abdul Hakim Sharai, is using an unofficial prison inside the ministry building to force residents of the Omid Sabz township to either pay rent for their own homes or forcibly vacate them. Sources told the 8am newspaper on Friday, October 9, that this action has particularly targeted Shiite elders in the area.
According to the report, over the past month, dozens of residents from the Omid Sabz township in west Kabul have been detained in a prison known as the "stone room" after being summoned to the Ministry of Justice. It is alleged that those who refuse to pay a monthly rent of 4,000 Afghanis per room for their own house or refuse to evacuate are imprisoned in this location, with some reportedly still in custody.
This is occurring despite the fact that Omid Sabz is a private development, and its residents hold legal ownership documents. The Taliban justice minister's order to pay rent on private homes has raised serious concerns about the security of property rights in Afghanistan under the group's rule.
Furthermore, 8am.af found that the Minister of Justice has allegedly seized at least 72 houses in the Sanatorium area, near Omid Sabz, and handed them over to his relatives, guards, and family members after forcibly evicting the original owners. These allegations suggest a pattern of property seizure and abuse of power.
Abdul Hakim Sharai is considered a close figure to the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. There have been previous reports of his mistreatment, humiliation, and detention of ordinary people and Shiite community elders. These actions are viewed as part of a systematic pressure campaign on the Shiite and Hazara community in west Kabul.
These cases raise serious questions about the rule of law and justice within the Taliban's judicial system. The use of unofficial prisons to settle property disputes and pressure citizens is a blatant violation of human rights and basic principles of justice.
Source: 8am.af
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