Taliban Denies Involvement in Video Showing Woman Beating in Kabul
Saif Khyber, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, has stated that the video circulating showing a woman being beaten in Kabul is not related to this ministry. He emphasized that there are “no official female employees” in this ministry and dismissed reports of the ministry’s agents being involved as baseless.
These remarks came after a video spread on social media showing a woman, allegedly linked to the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue, violently assaulting another woman. The video sparked widespread reactions among users and once again raised questions about the ministry’s conduct towards women.
The ministry’s spokesperson stressed in a message on the social media platform X that there is no credible evidence that the woman seen in the video is an official employee. However, he did not clarify whether the individual might have any unofficial or other form of association with the ministry.
The Taliban administration described the incident as a “personal and family dispute,” claiming it stemmed from internal family conflicts. According to the ministry, one of the injured woman’s family members also confirmed the claim; however, no documents or evidence supporting this have been released so far.
While the Taliban deny any official involvement, women’s rights activists continually criticize the lack of transparency in investigating violence against women and the absence of accountability from relevant authorities—an issue highlighted anew by the release of such videos.
