Taliban’s vice and virtue enforcers in Herat have been inspecting mobile phones of young people, according to local sources. The inspections reportedly occurred in several parts of the city on Saturday, September 7, with some phones being confiscated during the searches.
Sources indicate that the Taliban have been focusing these inspections primarily on young people.
Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the Taliban’s director of information and culture in Herat, did not confirm the reports of phone searches. However, he emphasized the need to monitor social media, claiming that some individuals, both inside and outside Afghanistan, are using digital platforms to spread “negative propaganda against Taliban leaders and religious values.”
Muttaqi also underscored that mobile phones are personal devices, stating that “no one has the right to search personal belongings without authorization.”
The reports come as the Taliban have introduced a new morality law, which imposes further restrictions on women’s rights and freedoms. Under the law, Taliban enforcers are authorized to issue verbal warnings and detain individuals as part of their enforcement duties.
