Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, has expressed concern over the excessive use of force against protesters in Herat. He called for de-escalation, respect for freedom of expression and accountability for those responsible for violence.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Bennett said: “t’s time to defuse the tension, respect citizens’ freedom of expression, especially women and girls, and avoid further harm.”
The UN rapporteur had earlier reported that, for a third consecutive day, large numbers of women in Herat had been arbitrarily detained for allegedly violating the Taliban’s dress code rules.
He stressed that such detentions were unlawful and unacceptable, adding that the arrests must stop and the women should be released immediately.
Multiple sources in Herat told Afghanistan International that the wave of arrests targeting women continued Sunday, with Taliban authorities detaining eight women in the Jebrail area as part of an operation against those accused of violating the group’s dress code requirements.
Eyewitnesses told Afghanistan International that a group of Taliban personnel, including five women, detained eight young women in the busy Jebrail market area and took them to an undisclosed location.
Witnesses said the women appeared to be wearing what they considered full Islamic dress.
The arrests followed a broader campaign launched by the Taliban in Herat on Saturday. Residents reported that dozens of young women were detained on the first day of the operation for wearing coats or appearing in public without face coverings.
During the initial phase of the campaign, women were reportedly detained from shopping centres, markets and busy streets across the city of Herat.
The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat has warned that women who appear in public without complying with the group’s prescribed dress code, including those showing their faces or wearing make-up, will face action.
According to a notice attributed to the Taliban’s morality police department in Herat, women who fail to comply with the group’s mandatory hijab rules could be detained and transferred to prison.
The notice, reportedly issued by the department in Herat, cites Quranic verses and religious teachings concerning women’s dress and appearance.
It also refers to the role and authority of male family members in determining how female relatives should dress.
According to the document, Taliban morality police officers in Herat have been instructed to take action against women who do not comply with the group’s dress requirements and to detain and imprison them.
At the same time, an audio recording circulating in Herat features a man claiming that the decision was made following a meeting between the Taliban governor of Herat and officials from the morality police department.
According to the recording, the measure is due to take effect on Saturday, June 6. The message also states that neighbourhood representatives and mosque imams are expected to inform local residents of the order.
The audio file has been attributed to an employee of the Taliban’s Hajj and Religious Affairs Department in Herat.
While Taliban authorities in other provinces have also imposed restrictions on women’s dress, no Taliban official has publicly commented on this reported decision.
Residents of Herat had previously reported that Taliban morality police in the province had resumed what they described as aggressive enforcement and inspections of women’s clothing.
The United Arab Emirates has stressed the importance of protecting the rights of Afghan citizens, particularly women and girls, and called for their access to education, employment and equal participation in society.
Ghasaq Shaheen, the UAE’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, met with Georgette Gagnon, acting head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), on June 5.
In a post on X, the UAE Mission to the United Nations said the two sides discussed recent developments in Afghanistan and the role of UNAMA in supporting peace and stability in the country.
The diplomatic consultations come ahead of two key UN events concerning Afghanistan. The UN Security Council is expected to review the extension of UNAMA’s mandate, with a meeting anticipated on June 17.
UNAMA is also scheduled to present a report on Afghanistan on Monday, June 7.
The United Arab Emirates has previously expressed concern about the human rights situation in Afghanistan. During a session of the UN Human Rights Council, the UAE called for the protection of the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Over the past several years, the UAE has maintained contact with Afghan women. In July last year, a number of Afghan women’s rights activists met with UAE officials and urged Abu Dhabi to support efforts to protect women’s rights in Afghanistan.
The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan says his office has verified cases of sexual violence allegedly committed by Taliban officials, primarily in detention centres. Victims interviewed included women and girls, as well as men and boys.
The remarks come after the UN Security Council recently reported allegations of sexual violence committed by Taliban officials and members of the group’s security forces against women.
According to the report, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented 21 cases of sexual violence in 2025, including gang rape involving 15 women and six girls.
Speaking to Afghanistan International on Thursday, June 4, Richard Bennett said the UN secretary-general’s report reflects only a small part of a much broader and severely underreported reality of sexual violence in Afghanistan.
He stressed that such abuses remain significantly underreported for a variety of reasons, including social stigma and cultural attitudes that often blame or even punish victims rather than perpetrators.
Bennett said public reporting of sexual violence is further restricted by safety and security concerns. According to him, Taliban authorities have warned victims not to speak publicly about their experiences or cooperate with human rights investigators.
He explained that, under the principle of “do no harm”, his office approaches information gathering with extreme caution and generally conducts interviews only when victims or witnesses are in a secure environment and have access to appropriate psychosocial and medical support.
The UN special rapporteur added that a lack of financial and human resources has limited his office’s ability to carry out comprehensive investigations. Nevertheless, he said such inquiries fall within the scope of his mandate.
A section of the UN Security Council report released last week stated that the Taliban authorities had arbitrarily detained women protesters and subjected them to torture, ill-treatment and sexual violence.
On May 30, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected reports of torture in detention facilities and prisons during an interview with Afghanistan International, insisting that Taliban regulations prohibit any form of abuse of detainees.
At least four former Taliban detainees or their relatives also told Afghanistan International that prisoners in Taliban custody are subjected to torture, mistreatment and forced confessions, and that such practices continue in detention facilities.
Women’s rights activist and former Taliban detainee Zarifa Yaqobi likewise rejected the Taliban’s denials, saying she and her colleagues experienced various forms of torture and forced confessions while held in Taliban intelligence detention facilities. She said she is still struggling with the psychological effects of her imprisonment.
Bennett said that in the future, sexual violence committed against people of all genders must receive far greater attention, scrutiny and accountability.
Norway says the Taliban must uphold Afghanistan’s international human rights obligations and end discrimination against women and girls.
Norway’s diplomatic mission for Afghanistan, echoing United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan concerns over the Taliban’s child marriage decree, stressed the need to protect children’s rights.
In a statement posted on X on Friday, Norway’s diplomatic mission for Afghanistan emphasised the protection of children’s rights and the importance of ensuring justice and equal rights for all Afghans.
Earlier, UNAMA expressed concern over the Taliban’s newly approved regulations on marital separation, saying Article 18 of the decree forms part of a broader and deeply worrying trend that is gradually eroding the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Norway was among the first Western countries to maintain channels of communication with the Taliban after the group returned to power in August 2021.
During the years when the Taliban were fighting Western forces and Afghanistan’s former government, Norway hosted several rounds of direct talks in Oslo between the Taliban and their political opponents.
Norway has also accepted Taliban diplomats on its soil, although it has not formally recognised the group as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
This policy reflects the broader approach adopted by many Western countries, which seek conditional and practical engagement with the Taliban to pursue humanitarian goals and manage Afghan migration, without granting the group full political legitimacy.