Taliban’s Morality Police Granted Sweeping Powers For Arbitrary Detentions, Says UN
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has raised alarm over the Taliban’s “propagation of virtue and prevention of vice” law, detailing its extensive implications in a report released on Wednesday.
The legislation empowers the group’s moral enforcers with broad authority to conduct arbitrary detentions and seize property from individuals deemed non-compliant, the report states.
According to UNAMA, the Taliban has established implementation committees across 28 provinces to enforce the law, each chaired by a provincial governor aligned with the group.
The measure, which spans from 21 August 2024 to 31 March 2025, has affected men, women, youth, and minority communities throughout Afghanistan, though the severity of its impact varies.
The report highlights frequent breaches of personal privacy during enforcement, with some cases involving the targeting of non-Sunni communities.
Afghan women, in particular, face significant restrictions, including limited access to healthcare due to a Taliban edict prohibiting travel without a male guardian, known as a mahram.
Several female healthcare workers told UNAMA they are barred from entering their workplaces without a mahram, further exacerbating the crisis in medical services.
