Social media activists arrested in eastern Afghanistan

In August 2024, pro-Taliban media and propaganda accounts announced on social media that two social media activists Khetabullah Bangakh and Abdul Rahman Gulab had been arrested in eastern Afghanistan for spreading anti-Taliban propaganda. These pro-Taliban social media accounts subsequently released videos of the two men confessing their alleged crimes against the Taliban, expressing regret, and pledging support to the de facto authorities moving forward.

First social media activist arrested

On 17 August 2024, pro-Taliban outlet Hindukush Media announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the Taliban had arrested a prominent social media activist in Laghman province, accusing him of disseminating anti-Taliban propaganda. Citing an unnamed security source, the outlet reported that Khetabullah Bangakh, a schoolteacher in Laghman, known on social media as Abid Lmar, was arrested a month earlier and remained in custody. The outlet added that the Taliban had “acquired the capability to identify and track anonymous addresses using advanced technical devices,” but provided no evidence of said capacity. 

Hindukush Media also released five audio and video clips featuring Bangakh, including a confession video bearing similarities to confession videos previously released by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI). 

AW has previously reported on possible links between pro-Taliban media and the GDI, related to the sharing of confession videos; in these videos, the alleged perpetrator normally introduces himself, confesses his crimes against the Taliban, and apologises.

Pro-Taliban accounts praised the news of Bangakh’s arrest, and several media outlets covered the story. On 20 August 2024, and during the days after, several pro-Taliban accounts posted a photo of Bangakh, allegedly taken during his captivity. 

In the confession video, after introducing himself, Bangakh admits to spreading propaganda against the Taliban, inciting people to oppose them, and being encouraged by “rebels.” He says: “I was spreading propaganda against both current and former Taliban leaders, deliberately misinterpreting Quranic verses, promoting immorality, and had a desire to flee the country.” He alleges that Esmat Qani, an anti-Taliban political analyst currently residing in Canada, promised to help him seek asylum abroad. 

To support this claim, the video includes a voice message, allegedly from Qani, in which he assures Bangakh that if he can reach Pakistan, arrangements will be made to either register him with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or provide him with accommodation there. Bangakh also admitted that he had been receiving money and mobile phone top-ups from Afghans abroad to support and sustain his propaganda activities against the Taliban on social media. 

At the end of the video, Bangakh expressed remorse for his social media posts, apologised to Taliban leaders and the Afghan people, and pledged that, if given the chance, he would make amends for his actions and refrain from repeating the same mistakes.

Hindukush released four other audio clips featuring voice messages between Qani and Bangakh, criticising the Taliban’s governance and policies. In these, Bangakh expressed concerns about rising madrasa enrolments. Hindukush framed these conversations as anti-Taliban and offensive to Islamic values. Other clips included Qani advising Bangakh on how to stay safe online, praising his activism, and suggesting collaborations on anti-Taliban content. Hindukush Media further alleged that Qani received Western funds for promoting anti-Taliban narratives.

While AW could not independently confirm that the voice in the audio and video clips shared by Hindukush Media was indeed Qani, Qani posted several times about Bangakh’s arrest on X, condemning it, and referring to Bangakh as a “poor teacher.” Additionally, Qani did not deny that it was his voice in the clips shared by the outlet.  

Analysis of Bangakh’s social media accounts

AW reviewed Bangakh’s Facebook and X accounts. His Facebook account, under the name Abid Lmar, was created on 13 February 2020 and as of 1 September 2024, had 62,000 followers. The cover photo features five children, both boys and girls, wearing symbolic, traditional attire, representing various occupations. The profile picture associated with his Facebook account accounts is not of Bangakh; AW assesses that Bangakh copied the photo used from a hairstyle website. Posts on Bangakh’s Facebook page prior to his arrest advocate for the reopening of girls’ schools and criticise negative practices and traditions in Afghan society, especially those related to women. Criticism of Taliban policies also featured regularly among these posts. 

Bangakh’s X account, also under the name Abid Lmar, was created in September 2020 and, as of 1 September 2024, had over 5,600 followers. The cover photo features four schoolgirls alongside the message: “Open Girls’ Schools!” The content is similar to that seen on his Facebook account, but it features significantly fewer posts, which are mostly text-based and lack photos.

The last Facebook post clearly attributable to Bangakh was made on 22 May 2024. However, after his arrest was announced on 17 August 2024, new posts began appearing, featuring content from the videos about his detention. The first post following Hindukush’s announcement of his detention reads: “I kept this matter so secret that even my brother at home didn’t know about it. I have now accepted that they (the Taliban) are tough people. I thought they wouldn’t have that much capability, but they had it, and I was punished for my remarks about religious scholars. I will never speak ill of scholars again.”

The post added that since his arrest, he would not let those who encouraged his anti-Taliban propaganda remain free, and committed to “listing them all [to the Taliban]”. Similar posts were seen on his X account on the same day.  

Second social media activist arrested

On August 25 2024, Muslim Kandozi, a prominent pro-Taliban account with nearly 270,000 followers on X, posted about the arrest of another social media activist, Abdul Rahman Gulab, known on Facebook as Gulab Shinwari, in Nangarhar province.

Like the confession video of Bangakh, shared by Hindukush Media, the post shared by Kandozi included a video in which Gulab introduces himself, admits to criticising Taliban leaders and policies over the past three years, and expresses remorse for his posts on Facebook. This video includes screenshots from Gulab’s Facebook accounts in which he criticised the Taliban. Numerous pro-Taliban accounts on X shared the video and news of the arrest.

In this confession video, Gulab states that the Nangarhar Police Headquarters treated him with respect and persuaded him of his mistakes. He adds that he will now write in support of the Taliban’s Islamic system. In the video, Gulab also urged other Afghans to refrain from criticising the Taliban and encouraged them to support Afghanistan’s de facto authorities; this, he claimed, would be of benefit in this world and the hereafter. He also described Afghanistan’s security situation as “perfect” and praised the Taliban’s system as the best option with no other alternative.

Analysis of Gulab’s social media accounts

AW reviewed Gulab’s two Facebook accounts, which both display his actual photo as the profile picture. Gulab's first Facebook account features a cover photo of crying schoolgirls. As of 1 September 2024, this account had around 5,000 friends, and over 1,300 followers. His second account, created on 22 February 2024, showcases a cover photo of a book he authored on delivering effective speeches, and has more than 6,000 followers. 

Most of Gulab’s content focuses on everyday topics such as cricket, and problems in his home province of Nangarhar, with occasional posts supporting the Republican-era flag and advocating for girls’ education in Afghanistan. Contrary to Taliban accusations against him, there were few posts on his social media critical of Afghanistan’s de facto authorities. 

The last post prior to his arrest was made on the newer of the two Facebook accounts, on 23 August 2024. Gulab then reappeared on August 27 implicitly stating that he was released from prison. A post from 28 August 2024, reads: “From me to me! No individual can confront or clash with the system. In such circumstances, respect, courtesy, and even a respectful summons are valuable. While asserting your position can be a strength, attending to family responsibilities is also important. It may not be a source of pride, but it’s certainly not a source of shame either.”   

Remarks

This is not the first instance of social media activists critical of the Taliban being arrested in Afghanistan. In February 2023, the GDI detained two satirists in Kabul and Nangarhar due to their social media activities. The accusations against the two social media activists, Bangakh and Gulab, were similar: spreading propaganda against the Taliban’s system, policies, and leadership. AW note that both activists advocated for girls’ education and had cover photos on social media that criticised the ban on girls’ education. 

Although the Taliban did not disclose how they tracked down and arrested Bangakh, who was using someone else’s photo and a pseudonym to conceal his identity, pro-Taliban accounts promoted the idea that the Taliban possess advanced technology to locate opposition propagandists. This appears to be an attempt to instil fear among social media activists in Afghanistan who criticise the Taliban, however AW has seen no evidence to support the Taliban possessing such technology.

AW observes that the Taliban are more actively monitoring and targeting Facebook users than those on X, as the arrests announced involve activists with larger followings on Facebook, and screenshots from the alleged perpetrator’s Facebook posts were used in the confession videos. 

AW assesses that the Taliban’s focus on Facebook may stem from its dominance in Afghanistan’s social media landscape, where 69.42% of social media users prefer Facebook, compared to 9.84% on X and just over 6% each on Instagram and YouTube, according to Statcounter.