Taliban Tortures Afghan YouTuber, Films It "For Fun": Report

A video has gone viral on social media, which shows the Taliban torturing YouTuber Ajmal Haqiqi and his team, according to sources.

As per the local media, they filmed it for fun and the Taliban members sent the video to each other. The horrific videos show that Ajmal Haqiqi and his team are brutally beaten with rods by them.

The Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence has arrested Ajmal Haqiqi, a YouTuber from Afghanistan, and three of his colleagues on blasphemy accusations, reported Khaama Press.

Four of the young activists are handcuffed in a video released on the Taliban's intelligence agency's Twitter handle, with Ajmal Haqiqi confessing to "promoting indecency and lewdness, and insulting Quran verses."

One of Haqiqi's colleagues, Gholam Sakhi, who was once addicted to drugs and claimed to have a "mental condition," recited verses from the Qur'an in a humorous voice in a video posted by Haqiqi's YouTube channel, where Sakhi sings and dances, reported Khaama Press.

Haqiqi laughs in that widely shared video as Sakhi mimics recitations in a humorous voice. Sakhi's conversational style is noted for being funny and amusing, reported Khaama Press.

"No one is allowed to insult or ridicule the verses of the Qur'an, the Prophet's hadiths, or Islamic sanctities under the rule of the Islamic system," the Taliban intelligence agency wrote on Twitter. Those who have recently insulted and disrespected the Qur'an's holy verses; "They are arrested."

Amnesty International has called on the Taliban to release Afghan model and YouTuber Ajmal Haqiqi and his colleagues immediately, reported Khaama Press.

Taliban forces have arrested Ajmal Haqiqi and three of his colleagues on blasphemy accusations. The Taliban's intelligence agency confirmed the arrest of Haqiqi and his colleagues on Tuesday, June 7, with the release of a video of their confessions.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has detained journalists and critics of the group, including human rights activists, since regaining control of Afghanistan, reported Khaama Press.

The Taliban had previously released a video of a number of detained protester women's confessions, which sparked outrage.

The Taliban has been accused of imposing harsh censorship on free media, as well as arrest and torture of journalists.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)