Women Mass Arrested in Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi for Lacking “Male Chaperon”

DID Press: Local sources in the Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi area say that on Wednesday morning, 30 July, Taliban Ministry of Vice and Virtue forces arrested dozens of women and girls on charges of not having a male chaperon (mahram) and transferred them to unknown locations.

The operation, which began at 6 am in areas such as Qala-e-Naw and 20 Metra Street, is still ongoing.

According to eyewitnesses, Taliban officers armed with batons and electric shockers quickly arrested women who were seen alone on the street. Some women have resisted this action and have faced physical violence.

Local sources say this action is part of a new wave of Taliban arrests in different areas of Kabul; arrests are being made for reasons such as “improper hijab” or not having a mahram.

Dasht-e-Barchi, a predominantly Shia region, has been the target of repeated Taliban crackdowns.

Reports indicate that women who are detained are usually held for at least three days, and some face domestic violence after their release. International organizations, including Amnesty International and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), have repeatedly called for an end to arbitrary detention and restrictions on women, but the Taliban have so far failed to respond effectively to these pressures