On Tuesday, hundreds of women and men residing in the Jebrael township in Herat staged a protest against the arrest of women by the Taliban, chanting “Education, Work, Freedom” and demanding an end to these detentions.
The protesters say that women in Herat are being arrested by the Taliban on the basis of their clothing and have called on the authorities of the group to put an end to this practice. The gathering began at around 8 a.m. along the main road of Jebrael township.
Eyewitnesses and local sources reported that Taliban forces used live fire to disperse the protesters. It is also alleged that other violent confrontations occurred during the incident.
According to local sources, at least four people, including a child, were injured as a result of gunfire by Taliban forces. However, the exact number of casualties has not yet been independently verified.
Images released from the scene also show scenes of the protest and a heavy presence of Taliban forces. Local sources say the number of deployed security forces exceeded that of the protesters.
Meanwhile, Richard Bennett expressed concern over reports of the crackdown on protesters. In a post on the social media platform X, he emphasized that those responsible for the violence must be held accountable.
Bennett also called for de-escalation, respect for citizens’ freedoms particularly those of women and girls and measures to prevent further harm.
Prior to the protest, residents of Jebrael had issued a statement urging people to take to the streets in protest against the arrest of women. They also called on other residents of Herat to join the demonstration.
Local sources say that no similar protests were held in other parts of Herat city. According to these sources, the Taliban deployed a large number of armed forces to Jebrael, and the area is now under strict security measures.
The Taliban authorities have so far not issued any official response regarding these events or the reports.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
