Following protests by people in the Argoy district of Badakhshan against the destruction of poppy fields, the Taliban have arrested at least 35 protesters and transferred them to the city of Faizabad.
Local sources say the arrests were accompanied by beatings of the protesters, and the presence of Taliban soldiers in the villages of Atan-Jallo and Barlas is widespread.
According to the source, Taliban forces have completely surrounded the area around these two villages.
Taliban officials claim that the protests have ended with the arrest of “provocateurs” and the process of destroying farms continues.
However, protesters have published messages asking people to join the resistance against the Taliban.
The lack of a livelihood alternative to poppy cultivation and the Taliban’s indifference to the economic situation of farmers has sparked a wave of dissatisfaction in the province.
