Taliban detain women in Afghanistan's Herat in dress code crackdown

Taliban morality police detained multiple women in the western Afghan city of Herat on Saturday for alleged non-compliance with the government's dress code, residents told AFP.

The UN mission in Afghanistan said Sunday it was "concerned over multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements."

What are the Taliban's dress code rules for women in Afghanistan?

Taliban authorities require women to be completely covered when leaving home, with many wearing a flowing abaya robe, a Muslim headscarf, and a face covering.

In Herat, the crackdown specifically targeted women not wearing a chador or burqa. The Taliban rules according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law and has steadily tightened restrictions on women since returning to power in August 2021.

What did witnesses say about the Herat detentions?

Residents spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity for security reasons. A 23-year-old woman said she saw two officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, one carrying a whip, forcing two women into a vehicle. She said those detained were fully covered and wearing headscarves.

"Everyone is frightened," she told AFP.

A 27-year-old woman said she witnessed PVPV officials stopping vehicles, checking passengers' clothing, and detaining multiple women in vans. "The majority of those arrested were women who were not wearing chadors," she said. Since the crackdown began, an AFP journalist and multiple residents reported a sharp drop in the number of women seen leaving their homes.

How has the Taliban responded to criticism of the Herat dress code crackdown?

The PVPV ministry declined to comment on the detentions when contacted by AFP. "There is nothing unusual in Herat," its information department said. The ministry added that the dress code "is a divine command and an enforced law, and we are obligated to implement it."

A 20-year-old taxi driver told AFP that women had effectively disappeared from the city's streets. "They're not seen in the city at all," he said, adding that drivers had been told not to transport women without a chador. One woman described the situation as "unbearable," saying: "I am genuinely saddened that we don't even have the right to breathe freely. Life has become very difficult for us."