Taliban arrest four Afghan men for cosplaying Peaky Blinders

Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have arrested four young men in Herat for dressing up as characters from the popular television series Peaky Blinders, accusing them of promoting "foreign culture".

The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice said the men were detained for "imitating film actors", according to local media reports.

"They were promoting foreign culture and imitating film actors in Herat," ministry spokesperson Saif-ur-Islam Khyber said, adding that a "rehabilitation programme" had been initiated for them.

The four men were identified by the media as Asghar Husinai, Jalil Yaqoobi, Ashore Akbari and Daud Rasa.

Afghan outlet Kabul Now reported that they were known online as the "Jebrael Shelbys", a nickname combining the name of their hometown, Jebrael, with the surname of Thomas Shelby, the protagonist of Peaky Blinders.

The group had gained attention for wandering the town in vintage-style clothing inspired by the series.

On 29 November, they appeared in an interview with the YouTube channel Herat-Mic, and several members had also built followings on Instagram.

Following their arrest, the ministry published a video in which one of the young men expressed remorse for wearing the outfits.

"Without realising it, I used to publish and spread things that were against Sharia," he said, pledging to stop engaging in “such sinful activities".

The ministry initially claimed the four had been placed in a rehabilitation programme, but Khyber later told CBS they had simply been "summoned, advised and released".

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have tightened restrictions on cultural expression deemed un-Islamic, enforcing harsh rules on dress, behaviour and public life.

Their policies have been most severe toward women and girls, with UN experts describing the situation as a form of gender apartheid.

A friend of the detained group told CBS that their arrest was "ridiculous", adding: "The country always feels like a prison."