A group of unidentified hackers has carried out a rare cyberattack on Taliban databases, leaking documents from 21 ministries and government agencies. The leaked records, published online, suggest that the Taliban has imprisoned approximately 1,400 women and more than 16,000 men.
According to the documents, Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada has also banned overseas academic travel without his direct approval and has placed travel restrictions on more than 8,000 former government employees, barring them from leaving the country.
The documents, released by the website Talib Leaks, indicate that as of January 2024, around 80 foreign nationals, including six women, are being held in Taliban-run prisons.
Key Findings from the Leaked Documents:
Approximately 1,400 women and 16,000 men are imprisoned under Taliban rule.
At least 80 foreign nationals, including six women, are in Taliban custody, the documents show.
According to the documents, more than 8,000 former Afghan government employees have been banned from leaving the country.
Overseas academic travel is prohibited without approval from the Taliban’s supreme leader, the documents show.
The Taliban Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has conducted extensive research on hijab enforcement and religious policing in 12 provinces, according to the documents.
The leaked documents further suggest that Taliban authorities have scrutinized foreign organizations operating in Bamiyan Province, accusing them of promoting Western cultural values.
Taliban have not commented on the cyberattack or the leaked records. However, analysts say the disclosures provide an unprecedented look at their governance.
“The Taliban’s repression is well known, but these leaked documents expose their rule in a way we haven’t seen before,” said analyst Samad Samadi in an interview.
The leaks come amid growing internal divisions within the Taliban. According to sources, Akhundzada recently deployed his loyalists to Kabul’s airport and ordered that no Taliban officials may travel without his direct authorization. Some reports also suggest that Kabul has adopted a heightened military posture in response to the ongoing power struggles within the regime.
