KABUL, June 8: The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has voiced concern over reports that women in the western city of Herat were arrested and detained for allegedly violating Taliban dress code regulations. In a statement on X, UNAMA said the reported detentions raise serious human rights concerns and stressed that all people are entitled to freedom of movement and equality before the law.
A human rights monitor said at least 16 women, including a pregnant woman, had been detained since Friday for alleged non-compliance with hijab rules. The arrests reportedly followed announcements by local imams warning that women could not leave their homes without wearing the hijab.
Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice denied the reports, calling them rumours. Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed strict restrictions on women’s education, employment and public appearance. (AP)
