The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has confirmed the arrest of several individuals in Kabul for allegedly dubbing films that the group claims violate Islamic values.
Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the ministry, said on Friday that staff and managers from several media production companies had been detained, and their offices shut down. Speaking to the Taliban-controlled national broadcaster, Khyber alleged that the dubbed films were sent to foreign networks and served as part of a systematic propaganda campaign against Islamic principles.
Earlier in the week, sources in Kabul told Afghanistan International that Taliban morality police had detained dozens of young women from the city’s Shahr-e Naw area. A relative of one of the detainees said around 100 women were arrested from streets, markets, and hospitals and transferred to facilities operated by the ministry.
A video obtained by Afghanistan International shows a group of frightened women surrounded by Taliban officers during the arrests.
The Taliban has not provided details on the legal basis for the arrests or whether the detainees had access to legal representation. The crackdown comes amid growing concerns over the group’s restrictions on media, women's rights, and freedom of expression.
