Taliban Authorities Detain Women in Herat for Not Wearing Chadors
Local sources in Herat report that the Taliban’s religious police, responsible for enforcing moral codes, have detained several women and girls for not wearing chadors or niqabs, following a new directive mandating compulsory hijab. These arrests occurred on Saturday, June 5, in various parts of the city.
According to these sources, the religious police have been visibly present along Lilamiha Road, markets, and shops—areas frequented predominantly by women—and have taken women into custody after inspecting their attire. While exact numbers of those detained remain undisclosed, sources mention a “significant number”.
The Taliban administration’s recent order emphasizes that women failing to comply with the prescribed dress code will be arrested and sent to prison. Just a day earlier, mullahs leading Friday prayers in Herat’s mosques warned women not to leave their homes without observing this specific dress code.
Several female residents in Herat say these measures have generated an atmosphere of fear and anxiety across the city. Many women reportedly no longer dare to venture outside, and in some households, stricter restrictions on women’s movements have been imposed.
Social activists believe that continuing such actions could further limit women’s presence in public spaces and hinder their participation in social and economic activities. This comes amid nearly five years of extensive Taliban-imposed restrictions on women’s education, employment, and freedom of movement, which have repeatedly drawn domestic and international criticism.
