A UN expert voiced alarm on Tuesday over what he described as the excessive use of force against “seemingly peaceful protesters” in the western Afghan city of Herat, following reports that demonstrators had gathered over the alleged detention of women.
"It’s time to defuse the tension, respect citizens’ freedom of expression, especially women and girls, and avoid further harm. Those responsible for violence must be held accountable," Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur for human rights, wrote on X.
A protest broke out on Tuesday morning in Herat after morality police from the ruling Islamist Taliban are said to have detained women for alleged violations of the dress code.
The United Nations in Afghanistan had previously expressed concern over reports of multiple arrests and detentions of women in the province for alleged non-compliance with Taliban dress requirements.
Videos on social media show gunfire into crowds and people being struck with long objects. In one of the videos, a few women can be heard shouting and chanting: "Education, work and freedom." The authenticity of the footage could not initially be verified.
In a statement, the Ministry of Virtue and Vice stated that reports of arrests in Herat by the morality police were false.
Local sources in the province told dpa that women who were detained were later released after paying a fine following mediation by community leaders.
Protests are rare in Afghanistan. The Taliban passed a new morality law in 2024. This law also established the new morality police, who are now said to have carried out arrests in Herat. The regulations stipulate, for example, that women must cover their faces when outside the home.
