Two women killed in crackdown on protests in Herat

ISLAMABAD: Taliban security forces used force to disperse a rare public protest in Herat after demonstrators gathered to oppose the detention of women accused of violating the country's strict Islamic dress code, according to a report by the BBC. 

Two people were killed during the unrest, though they did not specify the cause of death; several others were reported injured. Taliban authorities denied that anyone had died but acknowledged responding to the demonstration.

The protest took place in the western Afghan city of Herat, where local Taliban officials had recently intensified enforcement of mandatory hijab regulations. Men and women joined the protest days after reports emerged that women perceived as improperly wearing the hijab were being detained by Taliban authorities.

Taliban security forces used live fire to break up the protest. Taliban police did not directly address allegations that officers fired on protestors but said they had taken measures to maintain security and public order.

Taliban security personnel used “sticks, whips and firearms” to disperse the crowd and fired shots into the air, according to the BBC. 

Videos circulating on social media appeared to capture the sound of gunfire as women screamed and pleaded with security forces not to beat protesters.

Sayed Masoud Hosseini, a spokesperson for the Herat Police Command, accused demonstrators of disturbing public order. He said some protesters sought to create tension under the pretext of opposing Islamic hijab requirements, which Taliban authorities consider a religious obligation.

According to reports from the BBC Afghan service, some demonstrators chanted “Education, Work, Freedom,” a slogan associated with calls for greater rights for Afghan women.

Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, expressed his alarm over reports indicating excessive force used against what seemed to be peaceful protesters. In a statement shared on social media, Bennett called for accountability for those responsible for these actions.

The protest underscores the rising tensions regarding Taliban restrictions on women, which have intensified since the group regained power in August 2021. Women have been prohibited from attending secondary and higher education, excluded from numerous job opportunities, and face increasingly strict regulations concerning their appearance and movement.

The Taliban made the hijab mandatory for women in May 2022, but residents in Herat said enforcement efforts intensified in recent days. According to the BBC, they had seen women being detained since the weekend for allegedly failing to comply with dress requirements.