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Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
‘This isn't living': Afghan girls beaten in Taliban hijab crackdown
Nafiseh's only mistake was showing her wrist. The 17-year-old was shopping for clothes with her friends in Kabul when Taliban officers grabbed her, pulling her hair as they threw her into the back of a waiting van. The men with long beards and American rifles slung across their shoulders beat her all the way to the police station west of Afghanistan's capital, her uncle said. By the time they reached the police station, Nafiseh's complete black hijab – the covering that should have protected her according to the Taliban's laws – was stained with her own blood. 'She did nothing wrong,' her uncle said, his voice carrying the weight of a generation's helplessness. 'She was wearing a complete black hijab from the Arabs. They arrested her anyway.' When Nafiseh's father arrived at the police station, the Taliban officers turned their rage toward him, their fists finding a new target in his desperate flesh. 'As soon as he arrived, they started beating and insulting him,' the uncle explained. 'They told him why first he let his daughter go out without a man, then why her wrist was visible.' To secure Nafiseh's release, her father was forced to sign a pledge – a document promising to restrict her movements even further than before. Dozens of women and girls, aged 16 to 27, were arrested across at least six neighbourhoods this week alone, with the Taliban claiming they were not wearing the hijab properly. But witnesses told The Telegraph that girls were being arrested even when they did follow the strict dress code – like Nafiseh. The systematic round-up of women in Kabul represents an escalation in the Taliban's crackdown, with the victims' families threatened into silence. It's also a far cry from the image Taliban officials are trying to present to the West when encouraging tourists to visit the nation. In the labyrinthine alleys of Kabul, terror now wears the uniform of virtue police – an equivalent of the notorious morality police across the border in Iran. Witnesses describe scenes of armed jihadists chasing girls through narrow streets, with their victims running terrified and crying, seeking refuge in doorways that offer no protection. 'It was Saturday, and a group of women were walking,' one witness told The Telegraph. 'Of course, their male guardians were not always around to accompany them, but they needed to go and buy groceries. 'Then I saw girls running through the alleys, terrified and in tears, with Taliban fighters chasing after them. 'I asked what was happening, and people said the Taliban were arresting any girl they found on the street. 'The girls were scrambling in all directions. I watched as the Taliban beat them and forced them into a van. It was heartbreaking. 'One of my relatives was even wearing a mask, but they arrested her too. Because Afghanistan is such a traditional society, my uncle's family refuses to talk about her detention. She was held for two days. Now she's deeply depressed.' Some of the girls were also arrested simply for being outside after dark. In western Kabul, authorities have begun issuing public warnings via loudspeakers, instructing residents to comply with hijab regulations. At checkpoints near busy commercial areas, officials from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have been seen monitoring women's clothing and detaining those they deem non-compliant. The Orwellian body has employed women to monitor Instagram pages and report instances where other women dare show their faces online. 'They are needed to handle other women,' an official from the ministry said. Girls wearing hijabs with decorations, bright colours – banned by the Taliban – or with strands of their hair showing are frequently targeted Vehicles with tinted windows have been stationed near alleyways and shops and restaurants, ready to bundle women and girls away to be questioned. Many are taken to the Intelligence Directorate, where they can be held for up to three months – regardless of whether any formal charges are brought. One woman, beaten and detained for hours, returned home to a family too scared to speak of her arrest. 'She doesn't speak and stays in bed all the time. We're really worried about her,' her brother said. 'We're afraid she might harm herself – there's so much pressure on women here.' He added: 'They arrested her just for wearing a small plastic flower on her headscarf. The Taliban called us in. She wanted to become a doctor, then they closed universities and when she hung out with her friend, they arrested her. 'They humiliated me and my father, filmed us, and forced us to say on camera that we wouldn't let my sister go out alone again.' In Afghanistan's traditional society, a woman's violation becomes the family's 'dishonour', creating a conspiracy of quiet that serves the Taliban's purposes. 'We are like caged birds' A former university student described life for women in Afghanistan as being 'like a caged bird, just waiting for men to decide when to feed us'. She said one of her friends took her own life a few months ago but her family refused to call it suicide as they saw it as a humiliation. 'This isn't living – we're just breathing inside our homes, with no access to anything. 'The Taliban want us all dead. Their problem is with our gender. The entire government is focused on controlling women – so men don't go to hell by looking at us.' Women have been ordered not to speak loudly inside their homes, lest their voices escape and 'tempt' men outside. Zahra Haqparast, a dentist and women's rights activist who was imprisoned by the Taliban in 2022 and now speaks from exile in Germany, said: 'No woman goes out in Afghanistan without a hijab. 'The Taliban's problem is women themselves. As a woman, you do not need to commit a crime. In the Taliban's view, you're a criminal by being a woman.' The temperature in Kabul can reach 45C in summer. But the Taliban requires women to wear long black coverings in this heat, turning the simple act of existing outdoors into physical torture.
South China Morning Post
23-07-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Indian brothers wed same woman in ancient ritual, defying legal ban, and sparking criticism
A pair of brothers in rural India have married the same woman, upholding an ancient custom and sparking criticism from a women's rights group after photos of the wedding went viral. Polyandry is banned in India but is legal in some of the tribal pockets, including Himalayan territories, allowing preservation of some ancient traditions. The grooms, Pradeep and Kapil Negi, married Sunita Chauhan in a three-day wedding witnessed by hundreds of villagers and relatives earlier this month in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. During the ceremony, the trio from the Hatti tribe circled a fire considered sacred as villagers sang folksongs. 'We followed the tradition publicly as we are proud of it, and it was a joint decision,' Pradeep said, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. His brother Kapil added: 'We're ensuring support, stability and love for our wife as a united family.' One of the brothers is a government employee and the other works overseas.
Washington Post
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
UN concerned by Taliban's arrest of Afghan women and girls for dress code violations
ISLAMABAD — The United Nations on Monday expressed concern about the Taliban's arrest of Afghan women and girls for their alleged failure to comply with the authorities' dress code. In May 2022, the Taliban government issued a decree calling for women to show only their eyes and recommending they wear a head-to-toe burqa. The Taliban, which returned to power in 2021, has cracked down on the way women dress and behave in public, notably through morality laws forbidding them to show their faces outside the home.
New York Times
16-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Afghan Women and Girls Deported From Iran Fear ‘Coming Back to a Cage'
No more evening walks. No more jobs at the supermarket. No more hopes for school. As three Afghan sisters returned to Afghanistan after being deported from Iran last week, the reality of what they had once enjoyed and was now out of reach sank in amid their sighs and dwindling claims of defiance. Marwa, 18, noted they should start by getting head scarves and outfits to cover themselves, which they didn't have. 'Afghanistan is like a cage for women, and we're coming back to that cage,' said Khurshid, 17, the youngest of the three and a self-taught painter. Iran's mass deportation of more than 1.4 million Afghans this year has shattered the hopes of women and girls working and studying in Iran. Neighboring Pakistan has implemented a similar policy, putting at risk the lives of many other women who fled Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover in 2021. Some of the world's most severe restrictions on women and girls await. Under the new Afghan government, it is against the law for girls to study beyond sixth grade. Women cannot hold most jobs or go to public spaces like parks, nor travel long distances without a male companion. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNA
14-07-2025
- CNA
Hong Kong student let off with warning over AI porn, fuels calls to ban sexually explicit deepfakes
HONG KONG: A warning letter and an order to apologise - that's all a student from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) received after allegedly using artificial intelligence (AI) to create hundreds of sexually explicit deepfakes of his friends and classmates. The incident has sparked calls from lawmakers and women's rights advocates for stronger laws to tackle deepfake pornography, amid concerns that the university's response was too lenient. Although the case purportedly occurred earlier this year, it only gained public attention on Saturday (Jul 12), after three of the alleged victims anonymously posted a summary of the accusations online. According to the statement, which was posted on Instagram under the handle the incident involved a male law student at HKU, referred to as X. In mid-February, a friend discovered pornographic images of multiple women on his personal laptop. More than 700 images were reportedly found, organised into folders named after the estimated 20 to 30 victims - including X's friends, university classmates, seniors, primary school classmates, and even secondary school teachers. WHAT THE VICTIMS SAY Upon questioning, X admitted to using photos of the victims, mostly screenshots taken from social media, to generate the sexually explicit images using free online AI software. 'Some victims were close friends with X, others were mere acquaintances, and some had only met X once. It is understood that none of the victims authorised X's actions,' the statement said. It added that while X initially attempted to apologise to five victims in person, he only followed through with two, while also claiming that just five individuals were affected in total. In mid-March, some of the victims contacted HKU requesting follow-up action, the statement said. They sought to have the matter reviewed by the university's disciplinary committee, citing 'ragging' - where a student humiliates or ridicules another student. Under Hong Kong law, HKU's disciplinary committee can order students found guilty of disciplinary offences to be reprimanded, fined, withdrawn from university courses or exams, suspended or even expelled. According to the statement, the victims also asked for 'appropriate disciplinary measures' to hold X accountable for 'his actions of sexual violence'. They further requested class adjustments and that their tutors be notified, as some shared tutorials with X. In late March, HKU engaged with the students to understand the incident, the statement said. The meeting was attended by two university staff members, two victims, and a friend of X as a witness. According to the statement, one staff member told the victims she had consulted a lawyer, who advised that X's actions were 'not likely to constitute any offence'. The other staff member proposed issuing X a warning letter to be logged in his personal student file, and summoning him for a 'verbal reprimand'. In mid-April, a staff member emailed one of the victims confirming that the warning letter had been filed and forwarded X's apology letter. But the apology letter was brief - around 60 words - and most victims found it insincere, the statement said. 'Most of the victims also felt that the university's response was insufficient,' it said, adding that the matter has 'remained dormant' since April. The statement also claimed that HKU did not take action for an 'extended period' regarding the victims' request to be separated from X in classes. It was only before the final tutorial session of the semester that HKU, citing the 'wide distribution of victims across tutorial groups', invited two victims to attend alternative sessions, the statement said. This delay forced some victims to share the classroom with X at least four times, causing 'unnecessary psychological distress', it added. HKU RESPONDS AS LAWMAKERS CALL FOR TIGHTER LAWS In a press release on Saturday, HKU said it is aware of the social media posts on the incident. It was published hours after the victims' statement emerged, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The university said it had adhered to its internal rules as well as 'relevant laws' in handling the case, and has kept in communication with the affected students. 'With the consideration of taking care of their well-being, the university has taken various steps, including class adjustments, to address their needs,' it said. HKU said it has already issued a warning letter to the student and demanded that he formally apologise to his affected peers. 'The university deeply understands the concerns raised and will further review the case, taking further actions when appropriate to ensure a safe and respectful learning environment,' HKU said in its Saturday statement, while also reaffirming its 'zero-tolerance' towards gender discrimination, harassment, or misconduct. Meanwhile, Hong Kong advocates and lawmakers have urged the city to outlaw deepfake pornographic content. 'The images were fabricated and AI-generated, but their impact on victims is real and no different from that caused by genuine images,' said Doris Chong Tsz-wai, the executive director of advocacy group Rain Lily, as quoted by SCMP. The group aims to raise awareness of sexual violence against women. Chong said perpetrators in many cases knew their victims personally, representing a betrayal of trust and causing significant emotional distress. 'The current laws only outlaw superimposed images when they are published or threatened to be published without consent, but not necessarily their mere generation,' she said. In 2021, Hong Kong introduced four new offences targeting voyeurism-related acts - voyeurism, unlawful recording or observation of intimate parts, publication of intimate images originating from the commission of such acts, as well as publishing or threatening to post intimate images without consent. They carry a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, SCMP reported. One lawmaker also urged Hong Kong to follow in South Korea's footsteps by banning AI-generated pornographic images. 'It is hugely offensive, especially to women, even if they do not distribute or publish these images,' said Legislative Council member Doreen Kong Yuk-foon. 'It causes huge mental distress and disturbance.' South Korea last year passed an amendment to by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (US$21,740). The maximum prison sentence for creating and distributing non-consensual deepfake explicit images was also increased to seven from five years.
