KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has confirmed that following the Taliban’s suppression of protests in Herat yesterday, “a boy” was killed by gunfire and several others were injured as a result of being beaten with sticks.
In a statement issued today (Wednesday, June 10), UNAMA said it is investigating reports regarding the death of another individual during the protests.
The United Nations mission also stated that on the sixth and seventh days of the current month, Taliban authorities detained at least 30 women in Herat for allegedly violating dress code orders, issued verbal warnings to dozens of other women, and later released the detainees on the eighth of the month.
UNAMA expressed concern over the detention of women and the “excessive use of force against protesters” in Herat, saying that such arrests have a profound impact on women and their families.
“A woman’s detention in Afghanistan carries enormous stigma, which can put women at risk of further violence and isolation in their families and communities even after they are released,” said the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Officer-in-Charge for UNAMA, Georgette Gagnon.
Gagnon said that under international law, the Taliban are obligated to respect the rights of all Afghan citizens to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, personal liberty and security, and protection from arbitrary detention.
UNAMA emphasized that all law enforcement measures must comply with international legal standards, including the principles of necessity, proportionality and non-discrimination in the use of force.
The United Nations mission added that individuals have the right to express dissent peacefully without fear of violence, intimidation or reprisals.
UNAMA called on the Taliban to revoke all policies and practices that restrict the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan, including restrictions on freedom of movement, expression, education, employment, and participation in public life.
Following the detention of dozens of women by the Taliban in Herat, a number of residents of the Jebrail area staged a protest yesterday, chanting the slogan “Education, Work, Freedom.”
However, videos circulating on social media showed Taliban fighters firing directly at the crowd during the protest, which erupted after days of growing anger over the detention of women and girls in Herat.
Local sources confirmed that at least four people, including a child, were injured and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Some accounts also reported that a woman and a child were killed by Taliban gunfire, although KabulNow could not independently verify these reports.
The Taliban’s detention of women and girls has drawn widespread international criticism. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett, Amnesty International, and other rights organizations have called for an immediate end to the crackdown.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and university education, limits on employment, and strict rules governing dress and movement. Human rights organizations and UN officials have repeatedly criticized the measures as systematic discrimination against women and girls.
