TALIBAN ARRESTS 21 WOMEN IN HERAT OVER DRESS CODE VIOLATIONS

Taliban morality police have arrested at least 21 women and girls in the western Afghan province of Herat for alleged non-compliance with the group's dress code. One of those detained is pregnant and has been transferred to a provincial prison, though details of her condition remain unavailable. Several other women in Herat received verbal warnings rather than detention. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) raised concerns about the arrests on Monday.

Unama stated that the detentions raise serious human rights concerns and reminded the Taliban that all people hold the right to freedom of movement and equality before the law. The Herat provincial governor instructed local representatives to tell women not to show skin or wear make-up. The same message was distributed through mosques across Herat during Friday prayers. Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a decree last week prohibiting women from appearing in public without what the Taliban describes as a "proper hijab".

The arrests follow a pattern of enforcement actions targeting women and girls across Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Unama published its concerns via a post on X and has contacted officials at the Interior Affairs Ministry for comment. The detentions in Herat represent one of the more significant recorded incidents of enforcement under Akhundzada's latest directive. The United Nations mission has not yet confirmed any response from Taliban authorities to its statement.