RASC News Agency: The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has detained 13 individuals from various provinces on charges of “moral corruption.” The group claims these individuals are guilty of actions deemed morally inappropriate by the Taliban’s interpretation. In an official statement, the Taliban’s Ministry confirmed that its inspectors had arrested 13 individuals over the course of one week, accusing them of “moral corruption.” The statement also noted the arrest of nine additional individuals on charges of witchcraft.
The Ministry further stated that Taliban inspectors in the provinces of Daykundi, Kabul, Takhar, and Sar-e-Pul detained these 13 individuals under suspicion of moral corruption. Following initial investigations, the detainees were transferred to the Taliban’s judicial authorities for further legal proceedings. Additionally, the Ministry reported the arrest of nine other individuals in the provinces of Ghazni, Bamyan, Daykundi, and Sar-e-Pul on charges related to witchcraft. The Taliban claims these individuals were involved in promoting sorcery and magic, which they assert contributed to the disruption of family relationships.
The specific behaviors that the Taliban considers “witchcraft” remain unclear. Sources previously informed RASC that witchcraft is nonexistent, and that the individuals detained by the Taliban are primarily Tajiks, unfairly targeted based on ethnic discrimination. The Taliban had earlier arrested four individuals, including three women, in Parwan on charges of witchcraft. However, sources indicated that these detainees were not involved in witchcraft but were, in fact, beggars.
The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice continues to impose restrictions across various provinces, detaining and allegedly torturing individuals on various accusations.
