Taliban arrest Afghan fashion model, say he ‘insulted’ Islam

The Taliban have arrested a perfectly-known Afghan fashion design and three of his colleagues, accusing them of disrespecting Islam and the Quran, the Muslim holy book, according to films unveiled by Afghanistan’s new rulers.

Ajmal Haqiqi — known for his style reveals, YouTube clips and modeling events — appeared handcuffed in films posted on Twitter by the Taliban intelligence agency on Tuesday.

In just one widely circulated and contentious online video, Haqiqi is seen laughing as his colleague Ghulam Sakhi — who is regarded to have a speech impediment that he uses for humor — recites verses of the Quran in Arabic, in a comical voice.

After the arrests, the Taliban produced a video clip of Haqiqi and his colleagues, witnessed standing in light-weight brown jail uniforms and apologizing to the Taliban federal government and spiritual students.

The video was accompanied by a tweet in the Dari language, saying: “No one particular is permitted to insult Quranic verses or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.”

Later Wednesday, Amnesty International introduced a assertion, urging the Taliban to “immediately and unconditionally” release Haqiqi and his colleagues.

Amnesty has documented a number of arbitrary detentions by the Taliban in Afghanistan, typically accompanied by coerced statements in an endeavor to stifle dissent in the country and deter other folks from expressing their views.

Samira Hamidi, Amnesty’s South Asia campaigner, denounced the arrests and reported that by detaining “Haqiqi and his colleagues and coercing them into apologizing,” the Taliban have carried out “a blatant assault on the right to liberty of expression.” Her assertion also condemned the Taliban’s “continued censorship of these who would like to freely specific their ideas.”

In Kabul, Taliban officers did not promptly answer to requests for remark and it was not distinct what actions the design and his colleagues facial area underneath the Taliban-operate judiciary.

The households of the arrested styles could also not immediately be achieved for comment.

Due to the fact they seized electrical power previous August in Afghanistan during the ultimate months of the U.S. troop pullout from the country, the Taliban have imposed rigorous measures and edicts in accordance to their severe interpretation of Islamic regulation, notably curbing the rights of ladies and minorities.

The moves have lifted worldwide fears that the radical Islamic group intends to rule as it did the last time the Taliban held power in Afghanistan, in the late 1990s. The Taliban contemplate criticism and something perceived as disrespectful of Islam as a punishable crime.

Amnesty mentioned that considering the fact that their takeover, the Taliban “have been utilizing intimidation, harassment, and violence on any individual who has expressed assist for human rights or present day values, primarily human rights defenders, gals activists, journalists, and users of academia amid other folks.”

The legal rights group also urged the Taliban as the de facto authority in Afghanistan to “abide by worldwide human legal rights regulation and regard everyone’s correct to freedom of expression with out discrimination.”