Residents of Kabul have raised serious concerns over escalating harassment and intrusive interrogations targeting women by Taliban intelligence operatives and vice and virtue inspectors, forcing many women to abandon work and stay at home. Citizens describe these ongoing curbs as part of an organized effort to remove women from public life.
Working women in the Afghan capital recount frequent detentions of passenger vehicles by Taliban members, often dressed in plain clothes. Zainab, a Kabul resident, stated that her daily commute has repeatedly been interrupted by armed men demanding proof of marriage or familial ties with taxi drivers, alongside unauthorized searches of mobile phones.
Another resident, Roya, detailed an encounter in Kabul where armed motorbike-riding Taliban personnel halted her taxi, assaulted the driver, and detained him indefinitely after accusing him of transporting female commuters. She noted that such intimidations are designed to spread panic among the few women who continue to work in public spaces.
Meanwhile, male residents also described arbitrary arrests; one citizen stated that his brother was held in custody for three days simply for offering a ride to a female colleague, securing release only after substantial bail and financial payouts. Local taxi drivers confirmed they face aggressive interrogations daily for carrying female passengers.
These reports coincide with Amnesty International Australia's newly launched campaign titled 'Justice for Women and Girls in Afghanistan,' which classifies the situation in the country as one of the most severe women's rights crises globally.
According to Amnesty International, violations against women under Taliban rule are deliberate, institutionalized policies aimed at the systemic exclusion of women and girls from society.
Source: Hasht-e Subh
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