UNAMA, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, has expressed concern over the multiple arrests and detentions of women and girls in Herat by the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice due to “non-compliance with dress requirements.”
Today (Sunday, June 7), UNAMA published a statement on its X account, stating that these arrests raise serious concerns regarding human rights.
The UN Assistance Mission further emphasized: “We remind the authorities that all individuals are entitled to the right to freedom of movement, and all persons, regardless of gender, have the right to equality before the law.”
This comes as agents from the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have arrested several women and girls in Herat over the past two days for failing to adhere to Islamic hijab.
In a video released today from the Jebrail area of Herat, it can be seen that agents from the Ministry are arresting a woman, putting her into a vehicle, and taking her away.
The exact number of arrested women and their condition is still unclear.
The Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice issued an order last Thursday stating that starting this week on Saturday, women and girls whose faces and hair are visible will be arrested and “directly” transferred to prison.
This is not the first instance; the current government has previously arrested and imprisoned young women and girls in Kabul and several other cities for failing to comply with the mandated dress code.
