The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has detained a 70-year-old TikTok user, Malik Akbar, and released a video of his forced confession.

Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, the ministry’s spokesperson, accused Akbar of engaging in behaviour “contrary to Islamic and moral values” and said he had been referred to a Taliban court.

In the video published on Saturday, Akbar appears to apologise for his activity on TikTok and expresses regret. It remains unclear under what circumstances the recording was made.

Akbar says in the video that his social media activity was “improper” and that he “will no longer insult anyone.”

The Taliban banned TikTok and the online game PUBG in 2022, arguing that the platforms were “misleading young people.” TikTok remains inaccessible in Afghanistan without a VPN.

The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has previously released multiple forced confession videos of journalists and social media users and has referred them to Taliban courts.

Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, freedom of expression in Afghanistan has sharply deteriorated. Media outlets, journalists and ordinary citizens face significant pressure; many newspapers and television stations have closed or drastically reduced operations. Journalists report threats, censorship and the risk of arrest or violence, leading many to self-censor.

Human rights organisations say minorities, women, civil society activists and individuals critical of the Taliban are particularly vulnerable to repression.