Herat | Pakistan

Afghan residents in the western city of Herat have told AFP of witnessing multiple women detained by the Taliban government’s morality police, in a crackdown over clothing which has drawn criticism from the United Nations. The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Sunday it was “concerned over multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat Afghanistan for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements”. Taliban authorities have gradually tightened restrictions on women since returning to power in August 2021. Women nationwide must be completely covered when they leave home, with many wearing a flowing abaya robe along with a headscarf and a face covering. In Herat, residents witnessed women being detained on Saturday for not wearing the body-cloaking chador or burqa. They spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity for security reasons. “I saw two employees of the ministry, one of whom was carrying a whip, putting two women who were not wearing chadors into a vehicle,” said a 23-year-old woman, referring to...