O Uzbek Cultural Activist Masoud Teymour Detained in Badakhshan by Taliban Intelligence

Local sources in Badakhshan province report that Masoud Teymour, an Uzbek cultural activist, was detained by Taliban intelligence forces three days ago in Fayzabad, the provincial capital, and his current condition remains unknown.

According to sources, the arrest took place on Friday, June 19 (29 Jowza). Family members and close associates of Mr. Teymour remain uninformed, and no official authority has provided any explanation regarding his whereabouts or the charges against him.

Sources added that the reason for the detention was Mr. Teymour’s defense of the identity of Afghanistan’s Turkic ethnic groups and his support for protesters in Herat province via social media. This comes despite the fact that cultural activities and expressing opinions on virtual platforms should be protected under fundamental citizen rights without fear of prosecution.

Local Taliban officials in Badakhshan have yet to comment on the matter. In recent years, arrests of young people and activists due to critical views expressed on social media have increased, with human rights organizations consistently calling for transparency, adherence to legal procedures, and an end to arbitrary detentions.