UN alarmed as Afghan Taliban detain women, pregnant mother disappears

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has expressed deep concern over the Taliban’s arrest of women in Afghanistan’s western Herat province, warning that the detentions and the subsequent use of force against protesters raise serious human rights concerns amid an expanding crackdown on women across the country.

The warning comes as reports emerge of a pregnant woman who was allegedly detained by Taliban morality police in Kabul and remains missing days later, with her family saying authorities have provided no information about her whereabouts.

According to a UN statement issued Wednesday, at least 30 women were detained in Herat by officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The arrests followed a large-scale operation targeting women accused of violating the Taliban’s dress requirements.

The detentions sparked protests in Herat city, where residents gathered to denounce the arrests before Taliban security forces moved to disperse the crowd.

In its statement, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it was concerned that “dozens more women reportedly received verbal warnings” during the operation.

“While the women were released on June 8, the impact of such arbitrary arrests and detentions on women and their families is profound,” UNAMA said.

The UN mission also raised alarm over what it described as the “excessive use of force by Afghanistan’s de facto security forces” against demonstrators in Herat’s Jibreil area on June 9.

According to UNAMA, “at least one person, a boy, was killed by gunfire, while several others suffered injuries, including from being beaten with sticks,” adding that it was verifying reports of a second fatality.

The developments underscore growing international concern over the Taliban’s enforcement of morality regulations, which rights groups say have increasingly curtailed women’s freedoms since the group returned to power in 2021.

Pregnant woman detained

Separately, sources told Afghanistan International that a Hazara woman was detained by Taliban morality police in Kabul three days ago after leaving her home to carry out routine shopping. 

The woman, who is reportedly pregnant, was allegedly taken away in a government vehicle to an undisclosed location.

Her family says repeated attempts to obtain information from local police and the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have yielded no answers.

“We have approached all the relevant offices, but no one accepts responsibility for the arrest or tells us where she has been taken,” one source told the outlet on condition of anonymity.

“We are deeply concerned about her well-being and that of her child,” the source added.

Taliban authorities have not publicly explained the reason for the detention, though morality police have frequently detained women accused of failing to comply with the Taliban’s interpretation of hijab requirements.

UNAMA reiterated its call on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to “rescind all policies and practices that restrict the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan,” including limitations on freedom of movement, expression, education, employment and participation in public life.

Since regaining power nearly five years ago, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, barring them from higher education, limiting employment opportunities and restricting access to public spaces. 

International organizations have repeatedly warned that the cumulative effect of these measures has resulted in the systematic exclusion of women from public life and one of the world’s most severe women’s rights crises.