Defense Institution Documents Arrests of Women Following Herat Protests

The Defense Institution convened an online meeting on Thursday with dozens of women from Herat province. The session included more than 40 eyewitnesses as well as singer Ariana Saeed. Its purpose was to document accounts of events that followed recent protests in the area.

Women who took part in the meeting described a series of incidents involving arrests by Taliban forces. They reported cases of violent treatment during detentions. Claims of sexual violence were also raised by participants. Some accounts mentioned demands for ransom payments in exchange for the release of detainees. A number of women expressed concern over the lack of information about the fate of those taken into custody.

The discussion addressed a campaign conducted by the Taliban Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The campaign targeted what was termed improper hijab in Herat. It resulted in the arrest of dozens of women, according to the reports shared during the meeting.

Protests against these arrests took place in Jibraeel town in Herat. The demonstrations were met with severe suppression by Taliban forces, participants said. The women at the meeting spoke of the resulting atmosphere of fear and insecurity among residents.

Additional issues highlighted included humiliating behavior and insults directed at women. Participants noted the severe psychological consequences stemming from these events. The online gathering served as a platform to record these narratives of human rights violations.