At least 20 women and girls in Afghanistan were detained and beaten in prison by the Taliban's morality police in Kabul on Saturday, according to reports. The women were forcibly taken off the street by enforcers, who included female personnel, and subjected to violence before their release, which reportedly occurred after families and community representatives provided guarantees.
The incident is the latest in a series of escalating crackdowns by the Taliban on fundamental freedoms and human rights since the group seized control of Afghanistan five years ago. Footage obtained by local news outlet Amu TV showed some of the apprehended women, who were wearing hijabs, being beaten during their detainment. One witness reported that a pregnant woman was among those detained and that her husband pleaded for her release, stating she was unwell.
One victim described being grabbed by her collar, which was torn, and resisting for five minutes before being overpowered and taken away. She recounted fighting back after being slapped and forced to wear a face mask, asserting she would not comply with the mask mandate.
Last month, at least nine women were detained in Herat over two days for alleged violations of strict Sharia law dress codes, despite wearing hijabs. Residents in Herat have expressed increasing fear of leaving their homes due to harassment from morality police, who detain and intimidate women under the guise of enforcing morality.
In the Panjshir province, female doctors were reportedly told they could not work unless they wore burqas. These actions follow a protest in June against the morality police in Herat, which resulted in one death and several injuries when officials opened fire on demonstrators who were denouncing the detention of women and girls for dress code violations.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has systematically imposed restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and university education, limits on employment, and increasingly stringent regulations on their appearance and public movement. A UN Human Rights report released in March stated that conditions for ordinary Afghans, particularly women and girls, have severely deteriorated under Taliban rule, describing the situation as a "crushing impact" on the population.
Women in Afghanistan are excluded from education above primary school age, and a ban on higher education was enacted in December 2022. Medical graduation examinations have been held without female participation for two consecutive years due to a ban on medical institutes since December 2024. Women not adhering to the chador requirement have been removed from public transport and denied access to markets and public services. New laws also dictate that girls must wait until puberty to seek to leave a marriage and require mediation for women escaping abusive husbands.
According to UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk, the authorities have effectively criminalized the presence of women and girls in public life, impacting their healthcare, civic space, freedom of movement, and expression. He characterized Afghanistan as a "graveyard for human rights."