AFGHANISTAN Kabul, the Taliban install 2,000 closed-circuit cameras

The authorities say that they will serve to reduce crime, but citizens consider it an invasion of privacy and another attempt to control the population. Costs are covered by each family. The previous government had already approved a project to guarantee security.

Kabul ( / Agencies) – The Taliban have installed 2,000 CCTV cameras in a district of the capital and asked resident families to bear the costs. According to the Kabul Security Command, they will serve to improve the security of the city, which has some 6 million inhabitants, but for citizens it entails a very high cost and a violation of rights and privacy.

“The installation of cameras is voluntary and not mandatory for all citizens,” said Khaled Zadran, spokesman for the local police. The Taliban official added that citizens should place them to demonstrate their willingness to cooperate with the Islamic Emirate authorities, but families without financial resources are not required to join the project.

Experts believe the move is unlikely to have positive results in a country like Afghanistan, which is often the target of terrorist attacks. If the interest really were to improve security, priority should be given to installing cameras in public offices, not in private homes.

“How are security cameras going to work to prevent accidents when there is no electricity?” asked a Kabul resident. “The economic situation is not good and people cannot afford to buy a camera. Security cameras are expensive,” another resident told ToloNews.

According to the local population, the Taliban are incapable of guaranteeing the safety of citizens, and the decision to install cameras should be approved by a parliament or at least by popular vote.

In fact, the previous Afghan government had already approved a facility project in October 2020 after a series of assassinations of high-level personalities. In January last year, former Vice President Amrullah Saleh said the government would allocate more than $100 million to install state-of-the-art cameras in an effort to reduce crime.