Continued Detention of Women in Herat; Human Rights Activists Call for Immediate Action Against Taliban Authorities
Reports indicate ongoing detentions of women in Herat, prompting the Human Rights Activists Alliance to urge the United Nations, special rapporteurs, and international bodies to take immediate and effective measures to halt this trend and hold the Taliban administration accountable.
In a statement released on Thursday, July 30, the organization condemned the arbitrary detentions and restrictions imposed on women as unlawful, describing them as violations of human rights principles, international norms, and human dignity.
The statement clarified that what is happening in Herat extends beyond dress code restrictions; it is part of an organized mechanism aimed at controlling and marginalizing women from social life. According to the alliance, this process spreads injustice and paves the way for the recurrence of humanitarian tragedies.
The Human Rights Activists Alliance warned that such measures echo historical periods of repression in Afghanistan, times when women’s rights and freedoms were suppressed under autocratic rule and armed dominance.
The organization further emphasized that no society can achieve stability, justice, or legitimacy through imprisoning women, silencing girls, and instilling fear within families. Herat, located in western Afghanistan, is among the provinces where multiple reports of increased restrictions on women have emerged in recent months.
