Habibullah Badr, the Deputy for Military Affairs of the Taliban's Prisons Authority, has reported that there are 19,000 detainees, including 800 women, in Taliban-run prisons across Afghanistan.
He asserts that all are held for criminal offenses, denying the presence of any political prisoners.
During an interview with Taliban-controlled Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), Badr acknowledged a few foreign prisoners without specifying their numbers. He also noted that 9,000 female police officers are employed in these prisons.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) indicated in June 2023 that around 15,000 individuals were imprisoned by the Taliban. UNAMA's report detailed instances of torture, including electric shocks, inflicted by the Taliban.
A subsequent UNAMA report in September raised concerns over torture in facilities managed by the Taliban's intelligence agency and interior ministry. Despite documented cases of torture, Badr refuted these claims.
Human rights groups have criticized the Taliban's prison system, highlighting detainees' lack of access to fair trials and legal representation.
After declaring a general amnesty in 2021, the Taliban have continued arresting former government staff, military personnel, women's rights activists, journalists, and university professors on various allegations.
