Taliban Authorities Seize Hazara-Shia Elders’ Office Property in Kabul
Taliban Authorities Seize Hazara-Shia Elders’ Office Property in Kabul
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Afghanistan’s Ministry of Justice under the Taliban has reportedly confiscated the property and equipment of the Public Relations Office of Hazara and Shia community elders in Kabul, according to local Afghan sources.
The office, located in the home of former Afghan politician Mohammad Mohaqiq in the Sarkariz area of western Kabul, was reportedly emptied after Ministry of Justice officials arrived with vehicles to remove its contents.
The move follows a series of arrests targeting members, employees and visitors of the office in recent days. Those detained reportedly include office head Sofi Ghardizi, former parliament members Hassan Sharif Balkhabi and Mohammad Hossein Sangardost, as well as guards, visitors and a staff member.
Sources said families have not been allowed to visit the detainees and that there is limited information about their legal status or conditions of detention. Concerns have also been raised over Ghardizi’s health condition, as he reportedly suffers from medical issues.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice has not provided a detailed explanation regarding the legal basis for the confiscation or the reasons behind the arrests.
The developments come amid a wider series of actions against Shia and Hazara-related institutions in Kabul. Earlier, Taliban forces affiliated with the Ministry of Justice reportedly evacuated the Khatam al-Nabieen religious seminary and detained several of its teachers.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Shia Council of Afghanistan announced that it had reopened its Kabul office after a temporary blockade by Taliban Ministry of Justice forces ended.
The council’s headquarters was surrounded on Tuesday by Taliban forces before intelligence units intervened and the security forces left the area. No council members were reportedly arrested during the incident, and the office resumed receiving visitors the following day.
The council, headed by former parliament member Mohammad Ali Akhlaqi, includes former lawmakers, religious figures and Hazara-Shia community representatives. It was established under an order from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and operates under the supervision of the group’s intelligence service.
