{"id":109382,"date":"2026-06-08T15:00:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T15:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/women-detained-in-afghanistans-herat-in-clothing-crackdown\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T15:00:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T15:00:12","slug":"women-detained-in-afghanistans-herat-in-clothing-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/women-detained-in-afghanistans-herat-in-clothing-crackdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Women detained in Afghanistan's Herat in clothing crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Afghan residents in the western city of Herat have told AFP<\/em> of witnessing multiple women detained by the Taliban government\u2019s morality police, in a crackdown over clothing which has drawn criticism from the United Nations.<\/p>\n

The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Sunday it was \u201cconcerned over multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat Afghanistan for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Taliban authorities have gradually tightened restrictions<\/a> on women since returning to power in August 2021.<\/p>\n

Women nationwide must be completely covered when they leave home, with many wearing a flowing abaya robe along with a headscarf and a face covering.<\/p>\n

In Herat, residents witnessed women being detained on Saturday for not wearing the body-cloaking chador or burqa. They spoke to AFP<\/em> on condition of anonymity for security reasons.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI saw two employees of the ministry, one of whom was carrying a whip, putting two women who were not wearing chadors into a vehicle,\u201d said a 23-year-old woman, referring to officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV).<\/p>\n

She said those detained were fully covered, including wearing Muslim headscarves.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is frightened,\u201d she told AFP<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Another woman said she saw PVPV officials stopping vehicles and checking passengers\u2019 clothing, and saw multiple women being detained and put into vans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe majority of those arrested were women who were not wearing chadors,\u201d the 27-year-old said.<\/p>\n

The PVPV ministry did not comment on women being detained when contacted by AFP<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere is nothing unusual in Herat,\u201d the ministry\u2019s information department said.<\/p>\n

The dress code \u201cis a divine command and an enforced law, and we are obligated to implement it\u201d, the ministry asserted.<\/p>\n

Since the crackdown was launched, an AFP<\/em> journalist and multiple residents in Herat said the number of women leaving home had dropped sharply.<\/p>\n

A 20-year-old taxi driver said \u201cthey\u2019re not seen in the city at all\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been told not to transport women without a chador,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

One woman described the situation as \u201cunbearable\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am genuinely saddened that we don\u2019t even have the right to breathe freely,\u201d the 33-year-old said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife has become very difficult for us.\u201d<\/p>\n