HERAT: Taliban forces dispersed another peaceful demonstration in Afghanistan’s western Herat province after residents gathered outside the Taliban governor’s office to protest the detention of women and demand basic rights, according to local witnesses.
Eyewitnesses and residents told Afghanistan International that protesters gathered on Friday, June 12, before Taliban forces opened fire to break up the crowd.
Videos obtained by the outlet showed demonstrators chanting slogans in support of women’s right to education and work, as well as “Woman, Life, Freedom.”
The protest came after a wave of detentions targeting women in Herat over alleged violations of the Taliban’s strict dress code regulations.
The United Nations said Taliban forces used live ammunition to disperse a civil protest in Herat. UN Secretary-General spokesperson Farhan Haq urged the Taliban to avoid unnecessary or disproportionate use of force against peaceful demonstrations.
Citing assessments by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Haq said dozens of women and girls had been detained in Herat in recent days. Some of those detained were healthcare workers.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said at least 30 women were detained by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice between June 7 and 8. Dozens of other women received verbal warnings.
UNAMA also confirmed that at least one teenage boy was killed by Taliban gunfire and several others were injured after being beaten. Reports of a second death were still being verified.
The Herat protest was the second anti-Taliban demonstration in the city in recent days, following a similar protest in the Jebrail area that was also violently suppressed.
