UN Report: Taliban Morality Police Arbitrarily Detain 336 People in Early 2026, Escalate Restrictions on Women
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) stated in its latest quarterly report that Taliban morality police officers arbitrarily detained at least 336 individuals and mistreated women and men in 59 cases during the first three months of 2026.
The report, released on Tuesday, covers the period from January 1 to March 31, 2026. According to UNAMA’s findings, many of these arrests were related to clothing style, trimming beards in a Western fashion, or playing and listening to music—actions considered by human rights groups as part of citizens’ individual freedoms.
UNAMA also reported increased restrictions on women’s movement in certain provinces, including Herat. The report notes that morality police in Herat ordered women without the burqa (chador) to disembark from public transportation, raising concerns about further limitations on women’s social presence.
Elsewhere, in the provinces of Uruzgan, Paktia, and Kandahar, health centers were instructed to refuse treatment to women who arrived without a “mahram” (male guardian). Female health workers were also required to be accompanied by a mahram when traveling, posing serious challenges to women’s access to healthcare services.
UNAMA documentation revealed that in Ghazni and Uruzgan provinces, shopkeepers were ordered not to sell goods to women without a mahram or who did not comply with the Taliban’s prescribed dress code. In one instance, a shopkeeper was detained overnight for selling goods to a woman without a mahram.
Additionally, in Kandahar, real estate agents were directed not to rent houses or properties to women without a mahram. Observers believe these measures broaden restrictions on women’s everyday lives and raise serious questions about the protection of basic citizens’ rights under the Taliban administration.
