The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice detained Qadoos Khatibi, a university lecturer, and Fayaz Ghori, a civil society activist, in Herat on May 5.
The arrests were carried out after both men engaged in advocacy for the right of girls to access education in Afghanistan. The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the primary body responsible for enforcing the Taliban’s social and moral codes, conducted the operations in the western city of Herat.
Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the administration has implemented a ban on girls attending secondary schools, and universities. This policy has removed millions of Afghan girls from the formal education system, restricting their access to classrooms and academic institutions.
The detention of Khatibi and Ghori occurs as the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has increased its surveillance of individuals and organizations that publicly challenge these educational restrictions. In Herat, a city known for its historical role as a center of learning and civil society, activists have faced escalating pressure from security forces to cease advocacy efforts.
University lecturers and civil society members who maintain ties to educational rights movements are subject to monitoring by the ministry’s operatives. The enforcement of these restrictions is managed through a combination of direct detentions and warnings issued to academic staff and community leaders.
The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has not released a formal statement regarding the specific legal charges against Khatibi and Ghori, nor has it provided information on their current location or the terms of their detention.
