KABUL (Pajhwok): Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has criticised UNAMA’s latest human rights report, saying its portrayal of Afghanistan contradicts the UN mission’s principle of neutrality and calling for assessments based on verified information and objective facts.
On October 15, UNAMA released its quarterly report on Afghanistan’s human rights situation, covering the period from July 1 to September 30, 2026.
The report documented 443 cases of what it described as “arbitrary” arrests and detentions by officials of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, along with 97 incidents of alleged “ill-treatment” involving women and men.
According to the report, the arrests were primarily related to women’s hijab regulations, men’s beard and hairstyle requirements, failure to attend congregational prayers, and playing or listening to music.
In a post on his X account, Mujahid criticized UNAMA for characterizing the arrests of alleged violators by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and other Islamic Emirate institutions as “arbitrary.”
He maintained that the arrests were carried out in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to prevent conduct deemed contrary to Sharia and to promote the reform of individuals.
He also argued that governments in other countries carry out similar arrests.
Mujahid questioned why UNAMA’s report did not acknowledge what he described as the achievements of various Islamic Emirate institutions, including delivering humanitarian assistance, providing accommodation for returning refugees, preventing security threats, advancing political developments, and implementing major economic projects.
He said UNAMA should work to strengthen ties between Afghanistan and the international community and address misunderstandings. Instead, he alleged, the mission was conducting propaganda against the Islamic Emirate and portraying Afghanistan negatively.
Mujahid described the mission’s approach as inconsistent with the principle of neutrality.
Further details of the UNAMA report
According to UNAMA, the mission documented more than 50 cases during the reporting period involving the arrest or detention of women and girls, or the issuance of warnings to them, over alleged violations of hijab regulations.
Most of these incidents were reported in Herat, with additional cases recorded in Kabul and Badakhshan.
The report also documented at least 14 cases involving the arrest and detention of former security force personnel, as well as the killing of four former members of those forces.
Other sections addressed the suspension of activities at certain media outlets, the closure of institutions associated with the Shia Muslim community, and the arrest of several individuals. The report also recorded cases of corporal punishment involving 28 people.
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