KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A group of United Nations experts and the European Union have condemned the Taliban’s use of force against protesters and the “arbitrary” detention of women in Afghanistan’s western Herat province.
In a press release issued on Thursday, the UN experts, including Richard Bennett, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, criticized the Taliban’s actions as violations of international human rights law.
They stressed that the use of force in law enforcement is strictly restricted under international standards and called on the Taliban, as Afghanistan’s de facto authority, to adhere to key treaties to which the country is a party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
The protest erupted on June 9 in the Jibrail neighborhood of Herat, a predominantly Hazara area, after days of mounting anger over the detention of dozens of women and girls accused of violating the Taliban’s strict dress code. Demonstrators, including men, women, and children, gathered to voice opposition to the group’s increasingly repressive policies.
According to reports and videos circulating on social media, Taliban forces responded by opening fire directly on the crowd and beating protesters. At least two people, including a child, were reported killed, and 12 others were injured.
The experts called for a prompt, independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident. They also urged the Taliban to respect fundamental rights, including peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, movement, and protection from arbitrary detention.
They further demanded that the Taliban immediately release the detained women, ensure their access to medical care, and cease house-to-house searches.
Separately, Anouar El Anouni, spokesperson for the EU foreign affairs, condemned the use of force and arbitrary detentions in a statement posted on X. He called on the Taliban to respect international law, including the right to peaceful protest, and declared that “The EU stands with Afghan women.”
Earlier, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York that the Taliban had used “live ammunition” to disperse the public protest, killing at least one child and injuring several others. He reiterated the UN’s call for an environment in which all Afghans, including women and girls, can safely and freely access essential services and humanitarian assistance.
The incident has drawn widespread criticism from international human rights organizations. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the UN mission in Afghanistan, and the Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan have all called on the Taliban to cease using force against peaceful protesters and respect fundamental freedoms.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education, limits on employment, and strict regulations on dress and movement. Human rights groups and UN officials have repeatedly characterized these measures as systematic discrimination against women and girls.
