When Womanhood Is a Crime: One Afghan Woman’s Story in Taliban Custody

“The Taliban forces are everywhere, but not for security, rather to instill fear,” Nafisa* said.

The 20-year-old was imprisoned and tortured by the Taliban because of her clothing, and now she struggles with post-traumatic stress. Her family says they were forced to pay a large sum of money to the Taliban to release her from prison.

On a cold autumn day last year, Nafisa, along with her sister, had gone to the stalls near a store to buy a winter scarf when they encountered four men wearing white gowns, the Taliban vice and virtue police. They could not escape. What had they done? Failing to wear the hijab that the Taliban deemed “Sharia-compliant.” Moments later, Nafisa was knocked unconscious by an electric shock, and when she regained consciousness, she found herself in a cold, dark room alongside eight other women and three girls, all imprisoned.

She said the incident happened on October 5, 2024. 

“We were standing near a stall selling scarves when they suddenly appeared. One of them, speaking sharply, said, 'What is this you’re wearing? Why don’t you have a black hijab and face mask,” she said. 

“Then, with even more anger, they asked me to get into the ranger vehicle (morality police car). I was holding my sister’s hand tightly, but a woman in black, following their orders, forcefully pulled me. When I resisted, they shocked me with electricity, and after that, I don’t remember anything.

In February 2024, the United Nations reported that the Taliban's mass arrests of women and girls accused of “improper hijab,” initially began in western Kabul, an area predominantly inhabited by Hazaras. However, the practice quickly spread to other parts of the city, primarily Tajik-dominated areas, as well as other provinces, including Bamiyan, Baghlan, Balkh, Daikundi, and Kunduz.

Zohal*, Nafisa’s 24-year-old older sister, vividly recalls that painful scene. That day, she was so terrified and anxious that she repeatedly lost her way home. 

She even stammers when recalling what happened to her sister, saying: “Nafisa collapsed in front of me, and the Taliban dragged her like a lifeless body into the ranger vehicle and took her away. The worst moment of my life was in those seconds—the seconds that felt like an entire hour. I asked for help from anyone, but they all turned away. No one dared to say a word to the Taliban, or perhaps they simply didn’t want to.”

Zohal also suffered significant emotional trauma from the incident. She said that she took antidepressants for about four months. 

“Just hearing the name of the Taliban is enough to send a girl to therapy,” she said.

In the 18th police station prison, Nafisa encountered women who had been imprisoned for different reasons. One was accused of “improper hijab,” another for “having a relationship with a non-mahram,” and some were there for begging. 

“There was a girl who had been beaten so badly that her cries wouldn’t stop. It was only because she hadn’t listened to the Mullah. She was wearing a long dress, but for the Taliban, that wasn’t enough,” she said. 

The Taliban mullahs, whom Nafisa describes as “savage and uncivilized,” ruthlessly searched her phone. A photo she had sent to her aunt in Australia long ago became an excuse for even more serious accusations.

“A man with a long beard threw my phone and said, 'Who is this man you sent a photo to?” she said.

She said she explained in fear that the WhatsApp account belonged to her aunt, but the Taliban shouts became louder, “You irreligious, infidel Hazara, you gave a photo to a man, and you lied? One of them, whose face I didn't even dare to look at out of fear, hit me on the shoulder with a Kalashnikov and said, 'These whores should be shot.'”

With these accusations, Nafisa was taken for a “confession” to accept the charges, which she still didn’t fully understand. That night, in a cold, dark room, Nafisa couldn’t sleep out of fear. 

“I thought at any moment they might come and do something to me. With every footstep I heard, my body trembled,” she said. 

“The old woman guard stayed by my side and comforted me, but the fear that I might be dishonored and assaulted haunted me like a shadow.”

In his report published on August 30, last year, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, documented the sexual violence against women who were detained in January 2024 for their manner of dress.

“Information obtained from other reliable sources indicates that women were subjected to sexual abuse or assault during the crackdown,” stated the report.

Mr. Bennett quotes one of the detainees as saying: “When they questioned me, they beat me and banged my head against the wall. One of them tore my clothes and then touched my private parts.”

The next morning, after being fingerprinted and signing a commitment later, Nafisa was the last of the group to be released, but her family paid a heavy price on days when it was hard to find bread to eat.

Sharifa, Nafisa’s 50-year-old mother, with tear-filled eyes, told Rukhshana Media and More to Her Story that to secure her daughter’s release, they paid 100,000 Afghanis (around $1450) in cash. 

“Her father and brother went to the police station, but the Taliban told them that if they didn’t pay, her case would go to court, and they would send her to Pul-e-Charkhi prison. I sold my jewelry, took out loans, and finally, they released my daughter,” she said.

The Taliban held Nafisa’s phone for two months after her release.

“They were ruthless. My daughter hadn’t committed any crime, but it seemed like they were just looking for an excuse,” she said.

Six months have passed since that day, but the nightmare still haunts Nafisa. She now battles severe depression and is under the care of a psychiatrist. 

“The sound of a young woman’s cries, who was being tortured, still echoes in my ears. The guard said she was arrested for adultery, and they wouldn't release her until she confessed,” Nafisa said.

Even if she confesses, she will have to marry a man she has not had a relationship with, and she will have to endure dozens of lashes and be ostracized by her family. If she does not confess, she will be tortured in prison until she dies. The prison guard told Nafisa these things, and she still thinks about the fate of that young woman.

However, the words of the people and the heavy gazes of her family have made Nafisa's wounds even deeper. 

“For a young woman to go to the police station is a great shame. Being imprisoned and fined for an immoral relationship is bad enough,” Nafisa’s mother said. 

“People spoke ill of my daughter, her father, and the family, and they still do to this day. I’ve heard many times that they called my children and my husband dishonorable. Even her uncle wanted Nafisa to marry her so our family’s reputation wouldn’t be tarnished.

With trembling hands and medications that keep her life balanced on the edge of sleep and wakefulness, Nafisa said, “I don’t know how to move forward. I feel like I carry the Taliban prison with me everywhere. The electric shock, the cold and dark room, the multiple accusations, and the women whose fates are unknown.”

*Names have been changed for safety reasons.