RASC News Agency: In the province of Herat, local sources reveal a continuation of arbitrary detentions by the Taliban, with the recent incarceration of six employees from municipal offices and the maritime department in the Harirood Morghab region. This imprisonment, ostensibly on grounds of “trimming” their beards, unfolded within the confines of a designated “container” on December 18th.
Sources conveyed on Monday that the Taliban imposed a one-night confinement on these individuals as a disciplinary measure, denying them the basic necessities of “eating bread, drinking water, and using the restroom.” This forms part of the group’s endeavor to enforce a code of moral conduct in Herat. Allegedly, the Taliban exercises control over their assigned departments in the province of Herat, identifying employees who have trimmed or shaved their beards and subsequently subjecting them to incarceration.
It is salient to note that such actions by the Taliban are not unprecedented, as they have previously implemented analogous measures, confining certain employees in containers for beard shaving. Moreover, in specific provinces, young men confront humiliation or even physical punishment by the Taliban for trimming or shaving their beards. According to reports, the Taliban, through a directive, has mandated employees of their governmental entities in various provinces to cultivate their beards and don traditional Afghanistani attire, complete with a turban.
In light of reports, since assuming control of the country, the Taliban has instituted stringent laws reminiscent of their initial period in power in the 1990s. It is imperative to underscore that no country has officially acknowledged the Taliban, and one of the prerequisites for recognition involves upholding human rights, including women’s rights, a commitment the Taliban has been urged to honor.
