Several residents of the Omid-e Sabz township in western Kabul have expressed concern over continued inspections of homes by delegations from the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice and mounting pressure from the group. They say multiple Taliban delegations visit residents’ homes repeatedly, and that these visits often take place at hours when the men of the household are not at home. According to residents, the entry of armed men into homes under such circumstances has led to the harassment of women and children and created a deep sense of insecurity among them.
Residents of Omid-e Sabz stress that the continuation of this situation has disrupted ordinary life, and that they spend their days and nights in anxiety and fear of losing their homes. They add that over the past three weeks, they have approached dozens of Taliban-affiliated institutions to make their voices heard by the group’s authorities, but none has been willing to listen to their demands.
Mohammad (pseudonym), a resident of Omid-e Sabz, says armed Taliban members forcibly entered his home two days ago while he was at work, and treated his wife, mother, and children in an insulting manner.
The resident of Omid-e Sabz adds: “Everything my family and I own is this single apartment unit, which I bought with great difficulty. Two days ago, while I was on duty, several armed men and other Taliban members entered my home by force and with violence, insulted and humiliated my wife, mother, and children, and took my wife’s fingerprints. They told her that from now on she must pay rent for her own house.”
Mohammad says: “My family has gone through a terrifying ordeal. The condition of my wife and my two young daughters is very bad, and they have nightmares every moment.”
Another resident of the township describes the entry of Taliban members into people’s homes and private property as a clear violation of privacy, and says the action contradicts the law, customs, and culture of the people.
The resident of Omid-e Sabz says: “We do not understand how many authorities there are here. In my view, every Taliban member is a separate government unto himself. If not, why does one ministry have the right to inspect people’s homes? Have we stolen anything, or are we criminals? Has a court issued an order to inspect and search our homes? Believe me, we are being treated with great disrespect. Taliban members enter our private spaces, and they have even recorded and listed our bedrooms, noting how many wardrobes and other belongings we have.”
Meanwhile, several residents of the township say their representatives have repeatedly tried over the past three weeks to meet senior Taliban officials and discuss their problems with them, but have so far been unable to do so.
Omid-e Sabz township is in western Kabul, and most of its residents are Hazaras and Shia people of Afghanistan. It is said that more than 11,000 families currently live in the township.
The Taliban had earlier set a monthly rent of 4,000 Afghanis for each residential room and asked homeowners and tenants to pay the group the rent for the past six months. According to residents, those who refuse to pay this amount will be forced to vacate their homes.
The group has also detained a number of residents’ representatives who had protested the eviction orders. According to sources, some of those detained are being held in a place known as the “Stone Room” inside the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice building until they either pay the assessed rent or pledge to vacate their homes.
You can read the Persian verison of this report here:
شهرک امید سبز؛ تلاشی خانهها از سوی طالبان و هراس خانوادهها از سلب مالکیت
