UN Raises Concerns Over Women’s Arrests in Herat for Dress Violations
7 reported1 conflicting
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has expressed concern over what it describes as arrests and detentions of women in the western city of Herat for allegedly not following dress regulations. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan posted on X late Sunday that these actions raise “serious human rights concerns,” though it did not provide specific details. Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice dismissed the reports as “rumors.” A human rights monitor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Monday that monitors had verified at least 16 arrests and detentions since Friday, including of a pregnant woman, over alleged non-compliance with dress requirements. The monitor stated that arrests began after imams in Herat mosques issued announcements on Friday, on behalf of the vice and virtue ministry, that women could not leave home without wearing the hijab. The vice and virtue ministry’s information office denied the arrests, calling them “rumors,” and stated that “hijab is a divine command, a law that we are obliged to implement.” The U.N. mission reminded authorities that all people have the right to freedom of movement and equality before the law.
What’s reported
The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan expressed concern on X late Sunday about arrests and detentions of women in Herat for alleged dress regulation violations.
The U.N. mission said the arrests raise “serious human rights concerns” but did not provide details.
Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice dismissed the reports as “rumors.”
A human rights monitor, speaking anonymously, said monitors verified at least 16 arrests and detentions since Friday, including a pregnant woman, over alleged non-compliance with dress requirements.
On Friday, imams in Herat mosques issued announcements on behalf of the vice and virtue ministry that women could not leave home without wearing the hijab.
The vice and virtue ministry’s information office stated the arrest reports are “rumors” and that “hijab is a divine command, a law that we are obliged to implement.”
The U.N. mission reminded authorities that all people have the right to freedom of movement and equality before the law.
Conflicting accounts
The U.N. mission reports arrests and detentions of women in Herat for dress violations, while Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice dismisses these reports as “rumors.”
Key figures
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (organization)
Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Afghan government ministry)
Human rights monitor (anonymous)
Sources: abcnews.com
