According to reliable sources, the Taliban have released 20 detained employees of six international organizations and one UN partner agency at the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat province. According to the sources, these individuals were arrested yesterday morning by enforcers of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice on charges of having “short beards.”
The Taliban have so far not issued any official clarification regarding the reason for the arrests or the conditions of their release.
Based on information from the sources, those detained included staff members from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Health Organization (WHO), the ADA Health Organization, the Razi Development and Social Organization, the Rural Rehabilitation Association for Afghanistan, and the International Solidarity Office.
These organizations provide various services at the Islam Qala border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran to migrants returning from Iran.
So far, none of these organizations have officially commented on the arrest or release of their staff.
This incident comes at a time when Taliban regulations regarding beards have become increasingly strict in recent months. Previously, reports have also emerged from several provinces about the arrest of individuals, students, and employees for having short beards or failing to comply with Taliban-imposed standards.
Additionally, on the 29th of this month, it was reported that Taliban morality enforcers in Kandahar expelled several students from classrooms and barred them from examinations for trimming or shaving their beards.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
