Local sources in Herat province have told media outlets that inspectors from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice detained a number of women on Saturday in the Chahar Suq area of Herat’s old city.
According to the sources, the exact number of women detained remains unclear, but the arrests are part of a recent wave of Taliban actions targeting women in the province.
Information received indicates that a teenage girl under the age of 18 was also detained by Taliban forces for allegedly not wearing a face veil (niqab).
A video obtained by media outlets shows a group of residents gathered around a vehicle belonging to the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. No further details about the incident have been released.
The detention of women in Herat has now entered its second week, and the continuation of these arrests has sparked widespread reactions both inside and outside Afghanistan.
In recent days, reports have emerged of dozens of women being detained in different parts of Herat, drawing criticism from civil society activists, human rights organizations, and a number of local residents.
The ongoing arrests have also fueled growing public discontent in Herat, with protests reported in the province in recent days.
The Taliban have not yet issued an official statement regarding the latest detentions in Herat or the specific allegations made against the women who were arrested.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
