Naveed Ahmad Khan
Islamabad: The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) has classified Afghanistan among the countries facing an “Extremely High Risk” of torture and ill-treatment in its Global Torture Index 2026, citing allegations of systematic abuse under the Taliban administration.
According to the report and monitoring data referenced by OMCT, the number of women held in Taliban custody has reportedly increased from 840 in 2021 to 1,825 in 2025. The report estimates that approximately 23,000 people are currently detained in prisons and detention facilities across Afghanistan, representing an incarceration rate of 54 per 100,000 people.
The report further claims that around 52 percent of detainees have not been convicted of any crime and remain in pretrial or indefinite detention. It also states that nearly 1,000 women—about 4.3 percent of the total prison population—are being held in detention centers operated by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
The report cites allegations from independent monitoring organizations and United Nations missions that female detainees have been subjected to physical abuse, electric shocks, flogging, and sexual violence while being denied adequate legal representation and due process. The Taliban authorities have previously rejected or disputed many allegations of widespread human rights abuses.
The report argues that restrictions imposed on Afghan women—including bans on secondary and higher education, employment in many sectors, and travel without a male guardian—have been accompanied by an increase in arrests for alleged “moral offenses.” It warns that detention and alleged mistreatment of women have become a significant human rights concern requiring urgent international attention.
OMCT called on the international community to strengthen monitoring mechanisms, ensure accountability for alleged violations, and support efforts to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of women and other vulnerable groups in Afghanistan.
