Taliban have detained Ajmal Haqiqi and Ghulam Sakhi, Afghan YouTubers and their other colleagues on charges of "blasphemy" without considering any legal and judicial procedures. 

Taliban have detained Ajmal Haqiqi and Ghulam Sakhi, Afghan YouTubers and their other colleagues on charges of "blasphemy" without considering any legal and judicial procedures. 

Ajmal Haqiqi has created a platform where women and men could showcase their talents. Ghulam Sakhi, who is mentally ill has recited a verse from Qur'an in a fun way on Ajmal Haqiqi's youtube show.

It is urgently important for the International community, European union, UN, UNAMA, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other major international and regional players to do what they can to get/ force Taliban release Ajmal Haqiqi and his team IMMEDIATELY!

Taliban released another video on Ajmal Haqiqi and three of his colleagues appeared arrested, handcuffed and beaten where the Taliban had forcibly "confessed" to him and blocked his activities on YouTube under the pretext of "insulting sacred things."

This is totally understandable. They made a mistake and they made an urgent and official apology for it, right after the video went viral. 

Taliban leaders accused of severe violations of human rights and included in the UN terrorism sanction list are taking on the Afghan justice institutions including the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Interior, and the Attorney General’s Office. (For instance, both the current Taliban Minister of Interior and the new Attorney General are on the UN terrorism sanction list.)

The Taliban has systematically replaced the employees of the previous government’s justice institutions with their fighters with no substantial education or background in law or even Sharia, taliban has considered the 2004 Constitution against Sharia despite the fact that the constitution established Islam as the state religion and the supreme source of law in the country (Article 3 of the constitution states that “no law shall contravene the tenets and provisions of the holy religion of Islam in Afghanistan.”).

Additionally, the fate of a huge number of laws and regulations in different areas including criminal law, criminal procedure, family law, juvenile law, and women’s rights is unclear.

The Taliban has dissolved the Afghanistan Independent Bar Association, one of the main arms of justice in Afghanistan.

Given that the Taliban do not rule by law and legal procedures, it is unsurprising that human rights abuses have significantly increased since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Journalists, human rights activists, women’s rights advocates, members of former security forces, and former government employees have been arbitrarily arrested, tortured, or disappeared.

It is urgently important for the International community, European union, UN, UNAMA, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other major international and regional players to do what they can to get/ force Taliban release Ajmal Haqiqi and his team IMMEDIATELY! and to place restoring the legal system and the rule of law as their top priority whenever they engage with the Taliban. With the current Taliban’s disregard for laws and legal procedures and the loss of human capital in the justice institutions, it might soon be too late for the Taliban or any “inclusive government” they establish to restore the legal system and ensure justice and rule of law in the country.

Regards,

Team Humanity - Afghans in Europe

#RelaseAjmalyoutuberteam 
#RelaseGhulamSakhiwithteam
#StandWithAjmalHaqiqiteam
#StandwithGhulamSakhiwithmentalhealthmatter
#StandwithFreedomofSpeech