UN Condemns Taliban Detention of Women in Herat Over Dress Code

Afghanistan: UN expresses concern over detention of women in Herat

Kabul, June 8

In a post on X, the UNAMA stated that all people have the right to freedom of movement and are entitled to equality before the law.

"UNAMA is concerned over multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat #Afghanistan for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements, which raises serious human rights concerns," it said.

"We remind the de facto authorities that all people have the right to freedom of movement and that all persons, both women and men, are entitled to equality before the law," it added.

The UNAMA's statement comes after Taliban morality police detained at least 21 women and girls in Herat for alleged non-compliance with the dress code, Amu TV reported, citing local sources.

The sources revealed that Afghan women and girls were detained in several parts of Herat, including the southern road, Almas Market and the Qasr area, as per the report. The women who have been detained reportedly include a nurse who worked at Herat Regional Hospital.

The arrest of Afghan women and girls comes after the Taliban's Directorate for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat issued a directive, which ordered male family members to ensure that women follow the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic dress requirements.

According to the directive, women seen in public without a prayer veil, with uncovered faces, wearing tight clothes or makeup could face detention and transfer to a women's detention facility, Amu TV reported.

The latest incident comes amid reports of increased implementation of the Taliban's morality law in several parts of Afghanistan. Human rights groups said the law has increased restrictions on women and oversight of their dress, movement and participation in public life.

Since seizing power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has imposed restrictions on Afghan women and girls, including banning girls from attending secondary schools beyond the sixth class, prohibiting women from studying at universities, and imposing restrictions on employment and access to public spaces.

On June 4, the third round of university entrance exams started in Kabul without girls for the fourth consecutive year. Taliban-run National Examination Authority started holding the third round of Afghanistan's university entrance examinations, known as the Kankor, on June 4, with thousands of candidates appearing in the tests at Kabul University, Afghan news agency Khaama Press reported. The exam was held for 12th-grade graduates from Kabul province.

Rahimullah Haqqani, the administrative and technical deputy head of the National Examination Authority, said over 110,000 candidates appeared in the first three rounds of the examinations in Afghanistan.

— IANS