Afghanistan, July 28 -- At least 33 Ismaili prayer halls in Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan province were closed over the past three months, the United Nations said on Tuesday, raising fresh concerns over religious freedom and the rights of minority communities under the Taliban administration.
In its latest quarterly human rights report, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said the closures took place between April and June and affected 17 Jamat Khanas in Zebak district, 14 in Ishkashim district and two in Wakhan district.
According to UNAMA, officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, in some cases accompanied by other authorities, ordered the closures and instructed members of ...