Afghanistan Freedom Front says 123 former soldiers killed in 2025 after family verification

KABUL: The Afghanistan Freedom Front has reported that this figure has been compiled following confirmation from the families of the former soldiers. According to the report, an additional 131 former military personnel were also arrested and tortured in the same year. The report indicates that these incidents occurred in various provinces, including Kabul, Balkh, Kapisa, Parwan, Baghlan, Khost, Paktia, Panjshir, Badakhshan, Kandahar, Jawzjan, Faryab, Samangan, Helmand, Nuristan, Kunar, Takhar, Ghazni, Nangarhar, Bamyan, Herat, Ghor, Farah, Badghis, Kunduz, Uruzgan, Laghman, Paktika, and Sar-e Pol. The Afghanistan Freedom Front claims that alongside an increase in the expulsion of former military personnel from Iran, the Taliban’s intelligence has intensified its campaign of arrests and killings. This data has been collected from media reports and cases confirmed by the Taliban. Further details in the report state that former military personnel are subjected to severe torture after their arrest. The front has also noted that some detainees have died during torture, while others have either passed away or are struggling with serious health issues after their release from prison. As of the publication of this report, the Taliban have not responded to these allegations. Over the past four years, the group has been widely accused of extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions of former military members and officials of the previous government. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has also documented several cases of killings, arrests, and torture of former officials and military personnel in its previous reports. This comes despite the Taliban declaring a “general amnesty” after taking control of Afghanistan, consistently emphasizing their commitment to it.