Some citizens report that the Taliban continue to detain and extort people in the country. They allege that the Taliban exploit women to extort money from detainees. According to these citizens, Taliban members arbitrarily detain individuals at checkpoints, accuse them of “moral corruption,” and demand hefty sums of money. Sources indicate that this practice is carried out by Taliban commanders stationed at remote checkpoints in Kabul’s eighth, fourth, and tenth security districts. However, other citizens demand an end to the Taliban’s arbitrary detentions.
At least three credible sources, who refrain from mentioning their names, narrate to the Hasht-e Subh Daily about the continuation of detentions and extortion by some Taliban members in the Kabul city security districts.
Ahmad (pseudonym) is one of the residents of the eighth security district of Kabul city. He expresses concern about the continued arbitrary detentions of civilians and former government soldiers by the Taliban. Ahmad says that some Taliban members detain individuals at their checkpoints and then accuse them of “moral corruption” and demand large sums of money.
He explains that approximately 20 days ago, Taliban commander Qari Jamshid detained one of his relatives at a checkpoint in the Sarak area of Kabul City’s eighth security district. He recounts, “Our relative, who was carrying his family’s passports to the Iran embassy for visa purposes a few days ago, was stopped by Qari Jamshid at the checkpoint, where they confiscated the passports.” Additionally, they threatened him, demanding $15,000 by the next day in exchange for returning the passports. Before his release, they coerced him into signing a confession claiming he owed them money. However, upon being freed, he contacted 119, leading to Qari Jamshid’s detention by the Taliban intelligence department.
The source states that after the event the individual was threatened by the Taliban, and he withdrew his complaint. According to the source, Qari Jamshid has been released from prison and is now appointed elsewhere. However, sources add that Qari Jamshid has extorted large sums of money from several residents of the Sark-e Now area under various pretexts.
Meanwhile, some Taliban members arbitrarily detain individuals at their checkpoints and then accuse them of “moral corruption” and demand large sums of money.
Abdullah (pseudonym) is one of the residents of the fourth security district of Kabul City. Speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, he says that the Taliban exploited some women associated with them for extorting detained individuals. Abdullah states: “Some Taliban checkpoint commanders, especially in the fourth security district, gather information about individuals beforehand, and if they are convinced that his economic status is good or he is wealthy, they detain him at their checkpoint and then demand a large sum of money.”
Abdullah adds: “Some women collaborate with the Taliban and rush to the checkpoint during the detention of individuals, claiming that I have an illegitimate relationship with this person. Then the Taliban threatened the detained person to pay money in exchange for his release, otherwise, they would report him to the morality police of the group.” Abdullah emphasizes that detained individuals are forced to pay this amount of money to the Taliban commanders to preserve their “honor and dignity.” Sources add that the Taliban’s demands range from one thousand Afghanis to fifteen thousand US dollars.
A source in Kabul City’s tenth security district informs the Hasht-e Subh Daily: “The exploitation of women is limited to their checkpoints. In our area, I have witnessed multiple incidents.” The source elaborates: “Some time ago, they detained our neighbor’s son at a checkpoint. Despite finding nothing during the body search and on his phone, they accused him of an illegitimate relationship with a woman present there, extorting $500 from him before releasing him.”
However, some citizens of the country demand the cessation of arbitrary detentions by the Taliban.
Mehrullah, a resident of Kabul City, says that Taliban leaders should control their subordinates. Mehrullah adds: “Why don’t Taliban leaders supervise? Why do they allow people to be detained on various pretexts every day? If someone mistakenly reports on the Taliban, they immediately take action and detain people.”
Earlier, local sources in Kabul and northern provinces had confirmed that the Taliban had increased the detention of former government soldiers and civilians in various parts of the country. According to sources, the Taliban subject detained individuals to severe torture in their prisons to compel them to pay money.
This comes as the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) recently stated in a report that despite the Taliban’s announcement of a general amnesty, arbitrary detentions, torture, mistreatment, and extrajudicial killings of former government officials and soldiers by this group in the country continue.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
سوءاستفاده طالبان از زنان؛ جنگجویان در تبانی با برخی زنان از باشندهگان کابل باج میگیرند
