The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) announced in a new report that it has documented 443 cases of arbitrary detention and 97 instances of ill-treatment by the Taliban's morality police over the past three months.
The report, released on Thursday, October 15, states that these detentions were mostly related to women allegedly violating the Taliban's hijab directives and men for trimming their beards or having "Western-style" haircuts.
According to UNAMA, other reasons cited for these arbitrary detentions included listening to music and not participating in congregational prayers. These actions represent a tightening of restrictions on personal freedoms in Afghanistan.
The report notes that Article 24 of the Taliban's law for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice prescribes up to three days of detention for those who commit "vices." However, UNAMA has documented cases where individuals were held for longer than three days for similar alleged offenses.
For example, UNAMA highlighted a case on August 17 in Paktika province where two barbers were sentenced to one month in prison for trimming beards and giving "Western-style" haircuts.
Additionally, on August 21 in Nangarhar province, Taliban enforcers closed approximately 100 shops because the shopkeepers did not attend congregational prayers. These measures have a negative impact on the local economy and daily life.
In its report, UNAMA has called on the Taliban authorities to end arbitrary detentions and the mistreatment of citizens, and to respect their fundamental rights.
Source: UNAMA Report
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