Taliban Imprisonment of Women Reaches 1,000 Amid Torture Allegations

The Taliban Prison Authority has reported that approximately 1,000 women are among the 10,000 to 11,000 inmates currently held in Afghan prisons, Afghanistan International reported yesterday.

The reasons for their imprisonment remain unclear, as the Taliban’s stringent laws severely restrict women’s public presence and criminalize normal behaviors, including their voices being heard.

In addition to female prisoners, nearly 900 underage detainees are also in custody, alongside around 150 foreign nationals. Despite the alarming reports of widespread torture, Taliban officials, including Deputy Director Habibullah Badr, have denied allegations of physical and psychological abuse, inviting scrutiny of their facilities.

However, sources confirm that at least 87 individuals have died due to torture in Taliban intelligence prisons over the past three years, with methods reported to include electric shocks and suffocation. The United Nations has previously condemned the Taliban for their treatment of former government employees and soldiers, highlighting ongoing human rights violations.