Taliban detain 25 in Takhar for music, raising human rights concerns

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Taliban detain 25 in Takhar for music, raising human rights concerns

The Taliban in the northeastern province of Takhar detained at least 25 people last week following a private gathering with music.

The arrests took place in the Khwaja Ghar district for reasons that these villagers, who had gathered at a residential house to play musical instruments and sing, were arrested. According to the arrested people, the Taliban authorities said that the activity involved was “disturbing local residents,” although according to witnesses, it was part of enforcing strict restrictions on socialization.

The detainees are said to have been moved to another location under the jurisdiction of the district police, and it is not clear if charges have been leveled and for how long they will be held.

How Taliban restrictions violate fundamental human rights

Since its recapture of power in August 2021, the Taliban have issued a slew of blanket bans on cultural life and personal freedoms throughout Afghanistan. Music-which is an important means of artistic expression banned along with the prohibition on public performances of it, bans on musical performances even at wedding gatherings, and a ban on playing music in vehicles as well.

According to human rights organizations, such measures were a violation of fundamental human rights to free expression, cultural participation, and personal liberty guaranteed in international human rights law.

The Taliban’s crackdown has been regularly condemned by the United Nations and other global rights groups, which say the policies silence artistic voices, suppress civil society, and undermine individual freedoms.

Broader crackdown on arts and personal freedoms

The arrests in Takhar indicate the broader trend of the Taliban enforcing stronger social regulations across the country. Artists, musicians, and performers have come forward about harassment, intimidation, and arrests, while cultural venues have been shut down or placed under strict surveillance. There is evidence of the regulations being strictly enforced in rural regions, where officials in the areas function in effect lawlessly.

Apart from music, Taliban’s restrictions include: Restrictions on women to participate in societal activities like education and work. Restrictions on entertainment activities like cinema, theaters, and art exhibitions. Censorship of the media, social networks, and publications contrary to the interpretation of Islamic laws by the Taliban.

Human rights lawyers state that such policies cumulatively undermine civil liberties, cultural identity, and social cohesion such that Afghan citizens are forced to live under the constant threat of arbitrary arrest and punishment for non-violent acts of self-expression.

How is Afghanistan the only country restricting female education nationwide?

The Taliban regime that came to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 has also had very restrictive educational policies, excluding secondary as well as post-secondary education for females, thus being the only nation that prohibits females from attending education at the primary as well as at grade six levels, with 1.5 million female students affected as of 2025.

This decree came into force through over 20 decrees that prohibited co-education, the entry of females into secondary schools and universities, as well as courses such as journalism, law, and Economics for the rest of the females. Secondly, the Taliban target the education sector via the burning down of girls and boys’ schools situated in provinces such as Faryab, Paktia, and Panjshir. They also restrict the social interfaces for the female teachers with male students.

Instead of the conventional education system offered in mainstream schools, the Taliban has increased the number of madrassas (religious schools) that emphasize the ideological beliefs they support in order to radicalize the students by dropping subjects that address women’s rights, human rights, history, and geography from the curriculum. 

All these ideologies have been criticized as capable of causing radicalization of students, promoting gender inequality, and ruining the economy of Afghanistan by depriving the country of half of the entire populace’ contributions due to the induction of girls into early marriages and poverty.

International reaction and human rights implications

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), as well as international NGOs, has expressed several concerns over Taliban’s restrictive policies in regards to cultural activities. There has been a demand from UN officials to release those who are detained merely for participating in peaceful cultural events.

Legal experts explain that in international law and through the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), people are recognized to have the right to participate in cultural life freely, the right to enjoy arts, and the right to expression. The Taliban’s violations, through the incident in Takhar, show a rift that has developed in Afghanistan from the norms of international human rights.

Cultural repression and its long-term impact

The Taliban’s measures against music and culture have significant implications for society. Artists in the country, who before this period used to contribute to the rich cultural diversity of Afghanistan, now live in a threat environment, whereby arts have come to a complete halt, with the artists choosing to quit the country. 

This is a violation of human rights and isolates the people of Afghan society from the rest of the world regarding culture.

As the Taliban continue to enforce these policies, incidents such as that which involved the detention of 25 individuals in Takhar Province come to the fore as a harsh reminder of the plight that ordinary Afghan citizens continue to face in their efforts to honor their traditions in relation to the rich cultural heritage of the Afghan people.