Taliban's violent crackdown on women in Herat reaches UN Security Council

Dozens of women were arrested last week in Herat, western Afghanistan, on charges of violating Islamic dress codes. A subsequent protest was brutally suppressed by Taliban security forces. The incident has reached the UN Security Council, and local testimonies point to the Taliban's ongoing intimidation campaign.

Dozens of women were arrested last week in the city of Herat in Afghanistan's western province on charges of violating Islamic dress codes by Taliban authorities. The protests that followed the arrests were violently suppressed by security forces in what has been described as a bloody crackdown, the details of which have now reached the international public.

UN council discusses incident

The incident was reported to the UN Security Council, reflecting how seriously the international community views the situation in Afghanistan. Local residents' testimonies describe how the Taliban has continued a systematic intimidation campaign targeting both the women and their families following the protests.

Taliban pressure on women intensifies

The restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women have become increasingly severe since their return to power in 2021. Women have been largely excluded from public life, education, and the labour market. However, what happened in Herat is a rare example of public resistance that highlights the growing tension between the enforcement of a strict Islamic interpretation and Afghan women's capacity to resist.

According to witnesses, security personnel used force against the protesters and several demonstrators were injured. The exact number of casualties has not been officially confirmed, but eyewitnesses have described the situation as particularly brutal even by the standards of the Taliban's previous repression.