The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has released a detailed report accusing the Taliban's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice of violating human rights and fundamental freedoms.
According to UNAMA, ombudsmen of the ministry have engaged in at least 1,033 acts of arbitrary punishment, including 205 cases of mistreatment of women and 828 cases of men.
On Tuesday, July 9, UNAMA expressed concern over the increasing power of this Taliban ministry, stating that its actions negatively impact fundamental rights and freedoms, especially for women.
The report highlights the ministry's use of verbal threats, arrests, detentions, mistreatment, and public flogging to enforce its directives.
UNAMA reported that the ministry's authority extends to overseeing media, participating in the media violations commission, eradicating addiction, banning the sale of poor-quality gold, regulating private businesses, mediating disputes, and monitoring prisons.
From August 2021 to March 2024, the ministry imposed numerous restrictions, including bans on music, hookah smoking, displaying images of humans and animals, public statues, artistic sculptures, black magic, and celebrations of Nowruz and Valentine's Day.
These restrictions contradict individuals' right to participate in cultural life, with women being the most adversely affected. The ministry also violates the right to privacy through phone searches, mosque inspections, and questioning couples about their marriage certificates in public, the report added.
UNAMA documented 1,033 cases where this Taliban ministry used force to implement its directives.
Media Restrictions
The Taliban's virtue ministry has imposed severe restrictions on the media, preventing the broadcast of music, comedy programmes, and foreign cultural contents.
In provinces like Kunar, media networks have been instructed not to broadcast the voices of female callers or use female presenters. Women in the media must appear with masks and full hijab as mandated by the Taliban.
Women's Travel Restrictions
The ministry mandates that women need a male guardian for journeys longer than 78 kilometres. In November 2022, the Taliban in Nangarhar instructed women not to visit health clinics without a male guardian, although this restriction was lifted after a month.
Similar restrictions were reported in Kandahar, Balkh, and Khost, where women were not allowed to work, take taxis, or shop without a male guardian.
In December and January, several women in Kabul were arrested for not wearing "appropriate hijab”.
Restrictions On Women's Business
Despite the Taliban's commitment to women's work in the private sector, UNAMA documented that the ministry ordered the closure of women-run bakeries in Kabul, some women's shops in Kandahar and Balkh, and demanded shop owners to replace female shopkeepers with men. Tailors were also instructed not to take women’s clothing measurements.
The United Nations called on the Taliban to respect citizens' fundamental rights and adhere to the seven international conventions to which Afghanistan is still a member.
