HERAT — The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan expressed concern about the arrests and detentions of women in Herat for alleged non-compliance with dress regulations. The U.N. mission stated, "The arrests and detentions in the city of Herat raise serious human rights concerns."
A human rights monitor stated that monitors verified at least 16 arrests and detentions in Herat since Friday, including a pregnant woman, due to alleged non-compliance with dress requirements. These detentions occurred shortly after imams at mosques in Herat announced during Friday prayers that women are not permitted to leave their homes without wearing a hijab.
The U.N. mission stated, "We remind the de facto authorities that all people have the right to freedom of movement and that all persons, both women and men, are entitled to equality before the law." Last year, the U.N. mission expressed similar concerns regarding arrests and detentions in Kabul.
Afghanistan's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice stated, "The issues being spread about women being arrested in Herat are all rumors." The ministry's information office added, "Hijab is a divine command, a law that we are obliged to implement."
Afghan government regulations mandate that women appear in public wearing a full hijab and a face covering, leaving only the eyes visible. Many women use face masks, similar to those worn during the COVID-19 pandemic, to meet these public dress requirements.
Afghan authorities imposed restrictions on women and girls after the Taliban seized control of the country in 2021, following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces. These restrictions include bans on education beyond primary school and on employment in all but a limited number of professions.