Taliban Morality Police Detain at Least 10 Veiled Women in Herat

DID Press: Witnesses in Herat say Taliban morality police detained at least 10 women on Saturday despite the women wearing full Islamic coverings, including prayer cloaks and face veils, in the latest phase of a crackdown that has drawn domestic and international criticism.

According to eyewitness accounts, members of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice carried out arrests in several parts of Herat city during the afternoon.

One witness in the Chaharsuq area said four women repeatedly shouted, “We are wearing hijab,” as they were being detained. Despite objections from bystanders, the women were reportedly taken away by Taliban officers.

Another witness said six additional women were detained near the northern road leading to the city’s central mosque. According to the witness, the women were wearing prayer garments and attire that appeared to comply with Taliban dress requirements.

The reported arrests follow earlier accounts from local sources alleging that several women, including a teenage girl, had also been detained in Herat’s historic Chaharsuq district.

The latest detentions are part of a broader campaign launched in Herat in recent weeks and have prompted criticism from residents as well as concern from international observers over restrictions on women’s rights and freedoms in Afghanistan.