A deeply disturbing incident in Afghanistan’s Baghlan province has once again highlighted the escalating persecution of religious minorities under Taliban rule, raising serious concerns over the complete erosion of legal protections, due process, and fundamental human rights.
In the urban area of Nahrin district, an Ismaili man was reportedly publicly tied to a pillar and brutally beaten by a mob, in full view of bystanders. There was no court order, no formal charge, and no legal proceedings of any kind. The act amounted to extrajudicial punishment carried out with total impunity.
The incident follows a series of recent Taliban directives that have emboldened violence and discrimination against religious minorities and other vulnerable communities across the country. Observers and human rights advocates report that identity itself has increasingly become grounds for punishment, with minority status treated as an inherent offense rather than a protected characteristic.
Members of the Ismaili community, long known for their peaceful coexistence and social contributions, now find themselves exposed to collective punishment and public humiliation. The targeting of individuals based solely on religious identity underscores a broader pattern of repression in which rule of law has been replaced by mob justice and ideological enforcement.
Human rights advocates warn that this incident is not an isolated case, but rather part of a growing trend under the Taliban’s so-called “new system,” where fear, coercion, and public violence are used to enforce conformity. While today’s victim belongs to the Ismaili community, experts caution that no group is immune, and that such practices threaten the safety and dignity of all Afghans.
The international community is once again urged to closely monitor developments in Afghanistan and to hold the Taliban accountable for violations of international human rights norms. Silence and inaction, rights groups warn, risk normalizing a system in which persecution is institutionalized and justice is replaced by brutality.
