RASC News Agency: The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has reportedly detained more than 40 individuals, including six women, within the past month under allegations ranging from immorality to defiance of Taliban decrees. According to official reports, the Taliban’s enforcers apprehended 44 individuals six of whom are women on accusations of “moral corruption,” “unlawful acts,” and “noncompliance with Taliban orders.” These arrests occurred between November 22 and December 22, as per a statement issued by the ministry.
The charges brought against these individuals include offenses such as “moral misconduct, gambling, witchcraft, illicit relationships, and actions deemed un-Islamic.” However, many Afghanistani citizens contend that the Taliban are exploiting these pretexts to infringe on fundamental human rights and invade personal privacy under the guise of religious enforcement. The majority of detainees are reportedly from Kandahar, Paktia, Khost, Ghazni, Kabul, Parwan, and Nangarhar provinces. Over the past month, the Taliban’s religious police have escalated their efforts, mandating stricter enforcement of their rigid interpretation of Islamic principles.
Since the implementation of the so-called “Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” code effectively treated as constitutional by the Taliban restrictions on Afghanistani citizens have intensified. Specific clauses of this code have been actively enforced in various provinces, particularly the prohibition of displaying images of living beings.
This ban has been imposed in several regions as follows:
Kandahar, since September 5,
Wardak, since September 12,
Takhar, since October 14,
Helmand, since October 25,
Badghis, since October 22, and
Nangarhar, since November 12.
Residents across the country have condemned the Taliban’s actions as oppressive and unjust. In recent months, the Taliban have expanded their focus on imposing restrictions, targeting not only individuals but also media outlets and public networks, further tightening their authoritarian grip on Afghanistan society.