Taliban Have Arrested University Lecturer Nawidullah Fitrat in Herat

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Local sources in Herat say Nawidullah Fitrat, a university lecturer in the province, has been arrested by Taliban forces. The reason for his arrest, the exact time of his detention and his whereabouts remain unknown, and Taliban officials have not commented on the matter.

According to the sources, before his arrest, Fitrat had publicly criticised prejudice, injustice and the current situation in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. He had spoken about social problems, justice and people’s living conditions, and called for citizens to be treated fairly.

In a video published on social media before his arrest, a man identifying himself as Nawidullah Fitrat criticises the situation in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s conduct.

At one point in the video, he says: “This may be my last video.”

However, no independent sources have yet confirmed whether the video and his remarks are connected to his recent arrest. It is also unclear which Taliban institution is responsible for his detention.

The reported arrest of Nawidullah Fitrat comes as other cases involving the detention of citizens, activists and employees of international organisations have been reported in Herat in recent weeks.

Local sources previously reported that Taliban intelligence had arrested Ghulam Nabi Mudassir, a civil society activist and university lecturer. According to reports, he was detained after reposting news about protests by residents of the Jibril area.

In another case, Taliban intelligence in Herat detained two United Nations employees. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan confirmed the detentions and called on the Taliban to respect the immunities and privileges of UN staff.

There have also been reports of Taliban vice and virtue forces arresting a number of women in Herat. According to the reports, some of the women were stopped and detained while travelling because of the way they were dressed.

Some civil society activists say the increase in such arrests has made citizens more cautious about expressing critical views. They stress that peaceful criticism and the expression of opinions should not lead to detention.

A number of human rights activists have also called for the immediate and unconditional release of Nawidullah Fitrat and urged international organisations to follow up on his situation.