Taliban Seeks Red Cross Support For Women Prisoners
The Taliban’s prison administration said a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross met a senior official in Kabul, where the authorities requested assistance for prisoners, particularly women.
In a statement issued Monday, the administration said an ICRC representative in Afghanistan, met Mohammad Bilal Fateh, deputy head of the Taliban’s prison authority. The official asked the ICRC to help provide adequate nutrition, medical equipment and health facilities, recruit specialist doctors, supply educational materials for female prisoners and ensure essential hygiene items.
According to the Taliban statement, the ICRC delegation said it would cooperate in these areas.
In 2025, the Taliban administration said between 10,000 and 11,000 inmates were being held in prisons nationwide, including about 1,000 women and nearly 900 detainees under 18.
Since returning to power, the Taliban have also detained women for protesting against the group’s policies and for not wearing the form of hijab mandated by the authorities.
