KABUL: A week a number of girls and women were detained by Taliban in capital Kabul, but there is still no clear information about status of many of them. Families of detainees report that uncertainty regarding their loved ones has caused them significant distress. According to some sources, Taliban forces affiliated with the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have recently carried out group arrests of women in various areas of the capital, including Dasht-e-Barchi, Qala-e-Fathullah, and Shahr-e-Naw area, without any legal warrants justified solely on the grounds of “improper hijab” or being outside without a male guardian. One girl who was released on bail after several hours of detention stated, “I was fully covered, yet I was arrested. I was humiliated and threatened. I was warned not to go outside without a male guardian. Many women were detained with me; those who were bailed out left, but others are still there.” Witnesses report that some women were even pulled from beauty salons and transferred to detention centers without explanation. Families of some of these women also mentioned facing derogatory remarks when trying to secure their release. Women’s rights activists view situation as an organized effort to eliminate women from public life. A activist stated, “Taliban do not adhere to any legal processes. Women are arrested simply for being present in society, without a court order or specified crime.” At the same time, many residents of Kabul reported an increase in fear and distrust, with many women avoiding their usual activities out of fear of detention. A woman expressed, “We don’t know if being a woman has become a crime, as we are treated like criminals.”
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