Taliban Detain Scores of Women in Kabul Over Hijab Violations Amid Rising Human Rights Concerns
Over the past week, the Taliban’s Morality Police in Kabul have detained more than 100 women and girls accused of not complying with the group’s strict hijab regulations, an article on Hasht-e-Subh Daily reported. Eyewitnesses describe scenes of distress, with detainees crying and pleading for release. Videos circulating on social media show women asking, “Where have you taken our children?” Some detainees were reportedly fully covered, raising questions about the true motives behind the arrests.
Residents report that these detentions occur regularly in areas such as Shahr-e Naw and Dasht-e Barchi, with women being taken from cafes, markets, and hospitals. Accounts describe harsh and inappropriate treatment by the Morality Police, including physical abuse and forced compliance with dress codes. One witness recounted seeing a girl choked by her headscarf before being forcibly taken away.
The crackdown has heightened fears among Kabul’s population, with reports of increased murders, suicides, and thefts, especially in Dasht-e Barchi. Women’s rights activists highlight that many incidents go unreported due to fear and media censorship, and organizations supporting women have remained largely silent.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) condemned the detentions as violations of human rights and pledged to target the Taliban’s Morality Police in response. Former jihadi leader Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf also criticized the arrests as contrary to Afghan cultural and religious values.
The Taliban justify the detentions under their Law for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which imposes strict rules on women’s behavior, including restrictions on voice and movement without male guardians. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against top Taliban leaders for crimes against humanity related to systematic gender-based persecution.
