Taliban Detains Two Influential Shia Clerics in Herat’s Jibril Town

In Herat, Afghanistan, the Taliban has arrested two prominent Shia clerics, Mohammad Akbari and Hossein Azimi, amid ongoing tensions regarding Ashura celebrations, Afghanistan International reported yesterday.

Sources indicate that the clerics were detained after protesting Taliban restrictions on religious ceremonies. Akbari, former head of the local Ulema Council, and Azimi, a key figure at the Sayyid al-Shuhada Mosque, were summoned to police headquarters on November 2, but were arrested en route.

Following their detention, other clerics approached the Taliban governor to demand their release, but were informed that a complaint had been filed against them by the Taliban’s Office for the Promotion of Virtue. However, officials at that office denied any knowledge of the complaint. The current whereabouts and fate of Akbari and Azimi remain unknown, raising concerns over their treatment and the broader implications for Shia communities in Afghanistan, particularly following previous violent crackdowns during Ashura observances.