Taliban governor in Bamyan forces people to attend protest

Jumhuri Mudara: local sources in Bamyan province report that the Taliban have pressured some residents of the province to protest against the ICC prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants for the Taliban's ’s leader Hebatullah Akhonzada.

Local sources from Bamyan told Jumhuri Mudara that this protest, which saw limited participation, was organized under the threats of the Taliban governor, the head of education, and the head of the Taliban’s promotions of virtue and prevention of Vice in Bamyan.

Bakhtar news agency, controlled by the Taliban, reported that some residents of Bamyan protests today (Saturday, 25 January) against the request for arrest warrants for Hibatullah Akhunzada, the Taliban leader, and Abdual Hakim Haqqani, the chief of the Taliban's supreme court.

 According to Bakhtar, a group of Bamyan residents, led by Sayyed Nasurullah Waizi, head of Shia people council in the Bamyan provincial center, protested the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for the Taliban's leader and chief justice, calling for a reconsideration of the decision.

Sources stated that the protest was portrayed by some media outlets as though participants were genuinely opposing the ICC’s decision and supporting the Taliban leaders, However, the reality is different.

These sources, whose identities cannot be disclosed by Jumhuri Mudara for security reasons, revealed that attendees, especially government employees, were forced to join the protest under the threat of the Taliban governor, the head of education, and the head of the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice.

One of the participants, who wished to remain anonymous and works as a teacher in one of Bamyan’s school, said,” the head of education in Bamyan warned us and all teachers that if we did not participate in the protest, we would lose our jobs.”