A recent U.N. report has shed light on the activities of the Taliban's morality police in Afghanistan, highlighting a climate of fear and intimidation among the population. The report revealed that the Taliban's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has been enforcing decrees that disproportionately impact women and girls, including strict dress codes, segregated education and employment, and the requirement of a male guardian for travel.
The report stated that the punishments for non-compliance with these decrees are often arbitrary, severe, and disproportionate, leading to human rights violations and a sense of fear and intimidation among the people. The U.N. Mission in Afghanistan documented over 1,000 instances where ministry employees used force during the implementation of orders, resulting in violations of individuals' liberty and physical and mental integrity.
Men were also affected by these enforcement measures, facing punishment for alleged violations of Taliban orders or due to the actions of their female relatives. The ministry's role has expanded beyond moral policing to include media monitoring and combating drug addiction, raising concerns among human rights advocates.
The head of UNAMA's Human Rights Service expressed significant concern over the ministry's increasing oversight and expansion into various aspects of public life, particularly for women and girls in Afghanistan. However, the ministry rejected the U.N. report, dismissing its findings as false and contradictory.
These revelations come in the wake of a Taliban delegation's visit to Qatar for a U.N.-sponsored meeting on engaging with Afghanistan amidst economic challenges and humanitarian crises. The exclusion of Afghan women and civil society from the meeting drew criticism from rights groups and activists, underscoring the ongoing challenges faced by vulnerable populations in the country.
