UNAMA Expresses Concern Over Women’s Arrests in Herat
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has reported receiving accounts of the detention and seizure of several women in Herat province, closely monitoring the situation. According to the agency, these women are alleged to have been arrested for not adhering to the hijab regulations, an action that UNAMA states raises serious human rights concerns.
On Sunday, June 7, UNAMA emphasized in an official statement that all citizens have the right to freedom of movement, and that women and men must be treated equally under the law. The UN body warned that any restrictive measures against women must align with human rights obligations.
UNAMA’s expression of concern comes amid ongoing tensions between the Taliban administration and the international community over women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan. Over the past nearly five years, extensive restrictions on women’s education, employment, and public presence have repeatedly drawn criticism from international organizations.
Despite repeated calls from global institutions to uphold women’s basic rights, the Taliban leadership has consistently asserted that women’s rights are guaranteed within the framework of Islamic Sharia law. Nevertheless, the arrests of women based on their clothing choices have once again raised questions about the limits of this framework and how it is enforced in different regions of the country.
So far, Taliban officials have not issued an official response to UNAMA’s recent statements.
