The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of vice says it has detained a group of young men in Jebrael, Herat, known locally as the “Thomas Shelbys.”
Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the ministry, wrote on X on Sunday (December 7) that the individuals were arrested for imitating characters from a foreign television series.
In recent says, photos of four young men from Jebrael went viral on social media. The men were seen dressing like the Shelby brothers from the popular TV drama Peakly Blinders and walking around the streets. Thomas Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, is the lead character in the historical crime series.
The youths had become known online as the “Jebrael Shelbys,” with their images widely circulated among Afghan users.
According to the ministry, the actions of these young men are “against Islamic values and Afghan culture.”
Khyber stated that the detainees will be dealt with according to Taliban regulations.
In an audio recording released by the spokesperson, one of the young men says they posted the photos “out of ignorance,” claiming they did not know the act was “against Sharia and sinful.”
Their current situation remains unclear.
Over the past four years, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has repeatedly detained and imprisoned young people on similar charges. The ministry says it monitors social media and will take action against users who publish content considered “against Sharia.”
