HERAT: The Taliban has intensified its enforcement of strict dress code regulations in Afghanistan’s western city of Herat, detaining at least four women during a fresh crackdown, according to local sources and eyewitnesses.
The women were arrested at shopping centres along Herat’s busy 64-Metre Road, one of the city’s largest commercial districts, after Taliban officials accused them of failing to comply with the group’s prescribed hijab and clothing requirements.
Witnesses said several bystanders attempted to intervene and stop the arrests, but Taliban personnel took the women into custody despite their efforts.
The operation sparked fear among shoppers, with eyewitnesses reporting that dozens of women hurriedly left the area, including some who were already dressed in clothing considered acceptable under Taliban regulations.
The 64-Metre Road, popularly known by many residents as the Juma Bazar because of its particularly busy Friday trade, has become one of the main locations for the latest enforcement campaign.
The recent arrests began last week. On Wednesday, at least five women were detained in various parts of Herat, including the 64-Metre Road, the Pul-e Rangina neighbourhood and several shopping centres.
Similar operations continued on Thursday and Friday, when Taliban morality police detained an unspecified number of women in different parts of the city. Friday’s arrests marked the third consecutive day of detentions linked to the Taliban’s enforcement of its dress code.
According to the Taliban’s Department for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat, women are prohibited from wearing manteaux. They are required to follow clothing guidelines approved by the authorities.
The latest actions come against the backdrop of a broader campaign launched on June 6, when Taliban officers detained dozens of women across Herat for allegedly wearing manteaux, failing to cover their faces or otherwise violating the group’s interpretation of the Islamic dress code.
The crackdown triggered public protests in Herat’s Jebrael township on June 9, where residents demonstrated against the arrests.
According to local reports, Taliban forces fired on the protesters to disperse the gathering, killing at least two teenagers and injuring more than 20 others. Several demonstrators were also taken into custody.
Three days later, another group of residents assembled outside the Taliban governor’s office in Herat, chanting slogans including “Woman, Life, Freedom” and “Education, Work, Freedom”. Taliban authorities again dispersed the gathering and detained several participants.
Despite sustained criticism from within Afghanistan and the international community over restrictions imposed on women and girls, reports indicate that the detention of women over alleged dress code violations has continued in Herat in recent weeks.
