EU Condemns Crackdown on Women in Herat and Urges Taliban to Respect Human Rights
The European Union has condemned the crackdown on women in Herat, Afghanistan. A spokesperson for the European Commission denounced what was described as ‘excessive use of force in Herat’ and ‘arbitrary detentions of women for violating dress codes.’ The EU called on the Taliban administration to respect its international human rights commitments, including the right to peaceful protest. This response follows reports of women being arrested and protesters being confronted in the province.
On Thursday, Anwar Al-Anouni wrote on the X platform that the European Union stands with the women of Afghanistan and finds the recent events in Herat deeply concerning. He emphasized that respecting fundamental citizens’ rights is part of international obligations that must be fulfilled.
At the same time, local sources in Herat stated that the Taliban-appointed governor held a meeting with street representatives and tribal elders, asking for their cooperation to prevent potential gatherings on Friday. This meeting reportedly took place yesterday at the governor’s office, where attendees were urged to report any knowledge of planned assemblies to the relevant authorities.
Sources further revealed that Taliban forces have established checkpoints in various parts of the city, including the Jebrail area, monitoring the movements of residents. In some cases, citizens’ mobile phones have been inspected and controlled, actions that have heightened concerns over violations of privacy and civil liberties.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed concern following recent events in Herat, reporting that a teenager was killed by gunfire and several others were injured. UNAMA added that it has received reports of another fatality, which is currently under investigation.
