Local sources in Herat have told media outlets that members of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have detained at least 20 employees of international organizations and United Nations affiliates in the Safri area of Islam Qala border crossing with Iran. According to these sources, the reason for the arrests was cited as “having a short beard.”
According to the information provided by these sources, those detained include five employees of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), four staff members of the health organization ADA or Cooperation and Development Afghanistan, employees of the World Health Organization (WHO), staff of the development and social organization Razi, members of the Rural Rehabilitation Association for Afghanistan, and several employees of the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC) or Solidarity International (SI).
These organizations provide services for migrants deported from Iran at the Afghanistan–Iran border, but none have yet issued an official response regarding the detention of their staff.
Sources say that during the arrests, Taliban officials told the detainees: “We want to make you Muslims, because you apparently do not look like real Muslims.”
Local sources in Herat also claim that an individual named Mullah Sibghatullah, a member of the Taliban, has repeatedly and arbitrarily harassed, mistreated, and humiliated UN and international organization staff.
The sources further stated that about two months ago, several UN employees were also detained for having short beards but were released after a few hours. However, in the most recent incident, the detained staff have reportedly been held for more than 24 hours.
According to established international principles, governments and ruling authorities are not permitted to enter UN offices without coordination or to detain UN personnel while they are performing their duties.
The United Nations Convention on Privileges and Immunities states that UN premises are inviolable and that its assets and documents are immune from search, seizure, or any form of executive, administrative, judicial, or legislative interference. Afghanistan has been a party to this convention since 1947.
Sources who spoke to the media say that unauthorized entry into these offices or the detention of staff during their official duties may constitute a violation of international immunities and interference in the official activities of the United Nations.
This incident comes as the United Nations Security Council last week extended the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year.
In a recent Security Council meeting, most members emphasized the need for the uninterrupted operation of UN agencies in Afghanistan without interference, and called on the Taliban not to obstruct aid distribution or restrict the work of female staff in these organizations.
The Council also stressed that the Taliban must adhere to the international human rights obligations to which Afghanistan is a party.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
