Sources told Afghanistan International that a Hazara woman was detained by Taliban morality police in Kabul three days ago after leaving her home to do routine shopping. She was reportedly taken away in a government vehicle to an unknown location.
For security reasons and to protect her safety, Afghanistan International is withholding the woman’s identity.
Several days after the incident, local police authorities and the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Kabul have not provided any clear information to her family about her whereabouts.
One source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “We have approached all the relevant offices, but no one accepts responsibility for the arrest or tells us where she has been taken. We are deeply concerned about her wellbeing and that of her child.”
Taliban authorities have not explained why the woman was detained. However, morality police officers commonly detain women accused of failing to comply with the Taliban’s interpretation of the hijab requirements.
Afghanistan International sought comment from spokespeople for the Taliban’s morality police and Kabul police command, but neither responded to requests for information.
The detention comes amid an increase in the arrest of women and girls in major cities, particularly Herat, Balkh and Kabul, on accusations of what the Taliban describe as improper hijab or violations of their decrees.
International human rights organisations, including the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), have previously warned about the arbitrary detention of women and the psychological and physical impact such arrests can have on families, calling for an immediate end to the practice.
Some civil society activists say the Taliban’s treatment of women exceeds even the conduct of Soviet forces during the Soviet-Afghan war. One community elder in western Kabul said that when Soviet soldiers entered villages in the 1980s to arrest men, they generally did not target women if the men had fled to the mountains.
