"You Have Taken Life Away from Us; What More Do You Want?"Widespread Arrest of Women in Kabul

Photo by AFP

In recent days, a disturbing wave of mass arrests of women and girls in Kabul has once again drawn attention to the Taliban’s systematic repression of women’s rights. Forces from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have arrested women in several districts of Kabul, without court orders, without informing families, and with violent conduct, taking them from streets, markets, vehicles, and even educational centers.

According to reports and information from local sources, Taliban forces have detained dozens of teenage girls and young women in various parts of Kabul, particularly in Shahr-e Naw and Dasht-e Barchi, on the charge of “failing to observe Islamic hijab.” However, many of the detainees were reportedly wearing full hijab. This wave of arrests once again highlights the Taliban’s oppressive policies against women and exposes the group’s mechanisms of social control and gender-based discrimination.

The most recent wave of arrests began on Wednesday (July 16). In one of the initial operations, more than 100 women and girls were taken from the streets, hospitals, restaurants, and commercial centers of Shahr-e Naw and transferred to unknown locations. Reports indicate that some of the detainees were released after 24 hours on bail, but the fate of many remains unknown.

Continuing this campaign, another operation was carried out on Saturday afternoon (July 19) in western Kabul, particularly in Dasht-e Barchi. Local sources have confirmed that Taliban fighters detained teenage girls from Resalat Street, Barchi City Center, Qala-e Fathullah, beauty salons, and even from public transportation vehicles. According to eyewitness accounts, more than 30 girls were detained in this area. These arrests were conducted without the presence of female officers and with violent behavior.

While sources confirm the widespread detentions, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue denied the reports, claiming the girls were arrested not for hijab violations, but for dubbing “un-Islamic” films. However, eyewitness testimonies and videos circulated on social media tell a very different story.

In one video released from the recent arrests, a woman cries out,

“You have taken away our education, our schools, and our lives; what more do you want? Fear God!”

Human rights organizations and women’s rights defenders, including the “Human Rights Activist Union,” have issued statements condemning the arrests as “misogynistic, arbitrary, and a violation of human dignity.” They emphasized that silence in the face of such actions is tantamount to complicity, and that the international community must not allow the human rights situation in Afghanistan to deteriorate even further.

At the same time, local sources report increasing pressure on educational institutions. According to those sources, the Taliban have warned some course administrators that girls without a niqab and face mask will not be allowed to enter classrooms.

The arrest of women has sparked widespread public and political backlash. Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, a former jihadist leader, described the actions as contrary to religion, Afghan honor, and Islamic dignity. He stated, “Laying hands on women and arresting them by non-mahram men, and transferring them to prisons guarded by men, not only violates religion and Sharia but also tramples on Islamic dignity, Afghan honor, and human decency.”

Although the Taliban deny or justify these arrests, what is unfolding in reality is a clear example of systematic violence against women. Afghan women are not only deprived of education, employment, travel, and basic freedoms, they now live in constant fear of arrest, humiliation, and physical elimination.