Prominent Afghanistan University professor arrested for criticising Taliban rule

A prominent Afghan university professor, a critic of the hardline Taliban regime has been arrested in Kabul, The professor of law and political science, Faizullah Jalal, employed at Kabul University, was seen making several public addresses on the Afghan national television criticising the Taliban for the worsening financial crisis, economic turmoil and ruling by force. Jalal had been vocal about criticism of the Taliban since the US drawdown in August 2021, according to the reports. Jalal called Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem a “calf” in a television appearance and had also insulted other Taliban government members. Numerous footage of his criticism went viral on social media. 

Taliban, which had threatened reprisal for being vocal against its regime and supporting the democratically elected ousted government, condemned the Afghan professor’s statements against the Taliban rule. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that Jalal had been detained on Saturday by the Taliban’s intelligence arm for making statements on social media where he was “trying to instigate people against the system and was playing with the dignity of the people”. 

Taliban stooge of Pakistan, said Professor

“He has been arrested so that others don’t make similar senseless comments in the name of being a professor or scholar that harm the dignity of others,” Mujahid said on Twitter. The latter also tweeted the screenshot claiming had been posted by Jalal, wherein the professor accused the Taliban intelligence chief of being a stooge of Pakistan, and lambasted the new government for treating the Afghans as “donkeys”. Afghanistan’s Aamaj News, although, claimed that the account Mujahid shared the screenshots from @UstadJalal1,  was a fake account. 

Taliban claimed that the professor had tweeted from his official Twitter handle, @JalalFaizullah. Jalal however has been a known critic of the Taliban but denounced the fact that the account had been purporting to be him. “Dr Jalal has fought and spoken out for justice and the national interest in all his activities pertaining to human rights,” Jalal’s wife Massouda, who contested against former President Hamid Karzai in 2004, wrote. Meanwhile, Tolo news where Jalal made appearances tweeted that he was arrested “reportedly for making allegations against government departments,” citing a security source.