A woman in Afghanistan physically resisted female members of the Taliban's morality police who attempted to force her into a van on Saturday in Kabul. The incident occurred during what residents describe as a new, intensified crackdown by the Taliban in the capital.
Footage of the confrontation shows two women gripping the victim by her arms as they try to coerce her into a white hatchback. One officer pulls the woman by her arm while another grabs the back of her neck and pushes her. The woman, who is wearing a face covering, struggles against the officers, attempting to plead with bystanders. Male onlookers were observed watching the event without intervening.
According to Amu TV, a US-based Afghan broadcaster, several women and girls were reportedly beaten during the same incident. One witness recounted that a pregnant woman was among those detained, with her husband pleading for her release. "They detained 20 girls and took them away," the witness told Amu TV. "Among them was a pregnant woman. Her husband was crying and saying, 'My wife is unwell. Do not hurt her, do not harass her.' She was two or three months pregnant. They hit her and dragged her away."
It is understood that the detained women and girls were later released after their families and community members provided guarantees.
Since regaining control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have implemented widespread restrictions on women and girls, limiting their access to education, employment, and public life. Reports from Kabul indicate an increase in street patrols by the Taliban's morality police.
The Taliban regime has issued over 100 decrees affecting the control of women and girls, which human rights groups have characterized as a systematic erasure of women from public life. The incident is one in a series of actions by the morality police against Afghan women, often involving detentions for alleged violations of the enforced dress code.
Taliban officials have defended these measures, stating that "every government in the world imposes restrictions on its citizens." Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, a spokesman for the Taliban's ministry for the propagation of virtues and prevention of vice, remarked in June that no country accepts "absolute freedom."
Last month, at least nine women were detained in Herat over two days for allegedly not adhering to strict Sharia law dress codes, despite wearing hijabs. A Herat resident described an atmosphere of fear, with women becoming increasingly hesitant to leave their homes due to constant harassment under the guise of enforcing morality. "Women are being detained, intimidated and subjected to psychological abuse, yet no one is listening," the resident said.
Another resident reported that four women were detained outside the Marble Market for wearing long coats, even though they were compliant with the hijab requirement. These events follow a protest in June against the Taliban's morality police, which resulted in one death and several injuries. Officials reportedly opened fire on demonstrators who were protesting the detention of women and girls for dress code violations. Footage from the protest showed armed men breaking up the demonstration amid sounds of gunfire and screams.
Sayed Masoud Hosseini, a spokesman for Herat police, stated that the gathering had "created tensions" and disturbed public order. The demonstration occurred amid widespread outrage over detentions of women and girls in Herat for alleged non-compliance with the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic dress requirements. Amu TV reported that dozens of women, including at least 21 whose detentions were independently confirmed, had been taken into custody by officials from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.