Date: 29/04/1404
Local sources in Paktika Province reported that a teacher, Abdul Aleem Khamoud, was sentenced to death by Taliban courts following proceedings conducted without legal representation or family access. According to the sources, the teacher was denied the right to a defense lawyer, his family was not informed of the trial process, and relatives were instructed not to speak to the media.
Sources stated that Abdul Aleem Khamoud was initially detained in Jani Khel district after emphasizing the importance of modern sciences during classroom instruction. He was reportedly first sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. Following domestic and international reactions, Taliban authorities filed additional charges of blasphemy against him.
Relatives and local sources further reported that the teacher was subjected to torture while in detention and was forced to record a confession on camera alleging insult to “Islamic sanctities.” A group of tribal elders from Jani Khel district reportedly planned to travel to Kabul to seek review of the sentence.
The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue stated that the teacher was arrested following complaints by religious scholars and muhtasebans and was presented to court after confessing.

This case reflects the use of Taliban judicial processes to impose a death sentence following proceedings conducted without legal representation, family access, or transparency. The denial of a defense lawyer, lack of family notification, and allegations of coerced confession indicate serious violations of fair trial guarantees. The escalation of charges to blasphemy following public and tribal reaction suggests instrumental use of religious offenses to suppress contestation and legitimize extreme punishment. Reports of torture further situate the case within broader patterns of arbitrary detention and ill-treatment.