In a video that has been circulated, a female doctor says that the Taliban are demanding 13,000 Afghanis from the families of detained women in exchange for their release.
She says the Taliban also require a “community representative” and a “local guarantor” to appear and provide assurances for the detained woman before she can be released.
The doctor emphasized that the detention of women carries serious social and psychological consequences in Afghan society and can have a lasting impact on their lives and future opportunities. According to her, many women face social stigma, emotional distress, and additional restrictions after being detained.
She also stated that officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice insult, humiliate, beat, and detain women, including those who wear full Islamic dress and face coverings. According to the doctor, the detention of women under the pretext of “improper hijab” has become a growing and alarming trend.
In recent days, multiple reports have emerged regarding the detention of dozens of women and girls in the city of Herat. Women’s rights activists say that what is happening in Herat today is only one example of the situation faced by thousands of women across Afghanistan—women who, in addition to being deprived of education, employment, and other fundamental rights, are also exposed to the risk of detention, violence, and degrading treatment.
