Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, has said that if planned protests in Herat are held in response to the detention of women, all parties must exercise restraint and caution.
He emphasized that UN experts stress the full observance of the principles of legality, proportionality, and non-discrimination in the actions of law enforcement authorities.
These remarks come as, on Friday 22 Jawza, Taliban forces were deployed in parts of Herat city as well as in areas of western Kabul. Local residents reported that Taliban intelligence units maintained a heavy presence across the city due to the possibility of protest gatherings.
Images received by media outlets show a significant presence of security forces in western Kabul and Herat.
Richard Bennett, in a post on his X account, referred to a joint statement by UN experts expressing concern over the detention of women in Herat and the use of force against protesters.
On Thursday, UN experts issued a statement calling for the immediate release of detained protesters and women. They also stressed that ill-treatment of detainees must end and that access to medical care for injured individuals must be ensured.
The statement further urged the Taliban to halt house searches in Herat and to prevent further escalation of tensions in the province.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
