Taliban Used Live Ammunition Against Herat Protesters, Says UN

The organisation called on the international community to take action to secure the release of those detained and to hold the Taliban accountable.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, June 10, the Congress said no woman should be arrested, humiliated or imprisoned because of her appearance. The statement also stressed citizens’ right to hold peaceful demonstrations.

The World Liberty Congress said the repression of women, journalists and human rights defenders in Afghanistan reflects the Taliban’s disregard for human rights and constitutes gender apartheid.

The organisation also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all women detained in Herat and elsewhere in Afghanistan, as well as the release of all imprisoned journalists, human rights defenders and civil society activists.

The Congress further urged an immediate end to violence, intimidation and arbitrary arrests in Afghanistan.

It also called for greater international efforts to recognise gender apartheid as a crime under international law and reaffirmed its solidarity with the women of Afghanistan.

For security reasons and to protect her safety, Afghanistan International is withholding the woman’s identity.

Several days after the incident, local police authorities and the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Kabul have not provided any clear information to her family about her whereabouts.

One source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “We have approached all the relevant offices, but no one accepts responsibility for the arrest or tells us where she has been taken. We are deeply concerned about her wellbeing and that of her child.”

Taliban authorities have not explained why the woman was detained. However, morality police officers commonly detain women accused of failing to comply with the Taliban’s interpretation of the hijab requirements.

Afghanistan International sought comment from spokespeople for the Taliban’s morality police and Kabul police command, but neither responded to requests for information.

The detention comes amid an increase in the arrest of women and girls in major cities, particularly Herat, Balkh and Kabul, on accusations of what the Taliban describe as improper hijab or violations of their decrees.

International human rights organisations, including the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), have previously warned about the arbitrary detention of women and the psychological and physical impact such arrests can have on families, calling for an immediate end to the practice.

Some civil society activists say the Taliban’s treatment of women exceeds even the conduct of Soviet forces during the Soviet-Afghan war. One community elder in western Kabul said that when Soviet soldiers entered villages in the 1980s to arrest men, they generally did not target women if the men had fled to the mountains.

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.

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.

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.