A female school administrator in central Afghanistan’s Daikundi province was detained by Taliban after she refused to hand over her smartphone during a search at a girls’ school, local sources said on Tuesday.
The woman, identified as Tayyeba Hafezi, heads a girls’ high school in the provincial capital. According to sources, Taliban detained her on Monday, June 22, after she declined to surrender her mobile phone during an inspection at the school.
Sources said Taliban personnel entered the girls’ school and began collecting smartphones from teachers as part of an effort to enforce a recently imposed ban on the devices.
Hafezi was taken into custody after refusing to hand over her phone, the sources said. She remained detained until late the same day.
Several teachers and female students were also subjected to what sources described as harsh treatment during the operation.
According to the sources, some Taliban members threatened younger students and displayed weapons while demanding information about where teachers had hidden their phones.
Taliban have not publicly commented on the reported detention.
The incident appears to be one of the first reported cases of a person being detained for refusing to comply with the Taliban’s smartphone restrictions.
In recent weeks, Taliban have moved to enforce a verbal directive of their leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, banning the use of smartphones by public employees.
The restrictions have been implemented across a growing number of government institutions and provinces. Earlier this month, Taliban in Panjshir announced a comprehensive ban on smartphones in government offices, saying employees who violate the order could face disciplinary measures.
Taliban have warned that public employees found carrying smartphones could be referred to military courts. Videos circulating on social media have also shown Taliban members confiscating and destroying smartphones as part of the campaign.
The measures have raised concerns among educators, civil servants and rights advocates, who say smartphones are often essential for communication, access to information and administrative work in a country where digital services have become increasingly important.
The reported detention comes amid broader restrictions imposed by the Taliban on public life, education and access to information since they returned to power in 2021. Rights organizations have repeatedly warned that such measures further limit personal freedoms and access to communication technologies in Afghanistan.
