Overview
- Afghanistan’s morality ministry said four young men in Herat were brought in for promoting foreign culture after dressing like characters from the British series Peaky Blinders.
- A ministry video featured a voice identified as one of the youths apologizing, saying he was summoned, advised, and would stop posting content he described as against Sharia.
- Spokesman Saif‑ur‑Islam Khyber later told CBS News the men were not formally arrested and were released, despite earlier references to detention and rehabilitation.
- The friends, known locally as the Jebrael Shelbys, had gained attention on Instagram and YouTube for trench coats and flat caps, and they recently appeared on the Hirat Mic channel.
- Officials framed the case as enforcing Islamic values and Afghan culture, reflecting broader actions by the ministry that have included recent detentions such as street magicians accused of promoting witchcraft.