The United Nations on Monday expressed concern over the arrests of several Afghan women in the Afghan capital, Kabul, who were accused of violating the Taliban government’s rigorous clothing regulation. Afghan authorities have denied any such arrest.
After the Taliban came to power in 2021, they have imposed a strong interpretation of Islamic law, and have made it mandatory for all women from head to toe.
The UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it was’ worried about the arrest of several women and girls in Kabul from July 16 to 19, who have been accused of not following interim authorities’ hijab instructions. ‘
The auxiliary mission wrote on the social media platform X that ‘these events make women and girls more lonely, create an atmosphere of fear and dismantle public confidence,’ and also said that they have contacted the authorities on the matter.
UNAMA is concerned by the arrest of numerous women & girls in Kabul between 16-19 July due to their alleged non-compliance with the de facto authorities’ hijab instructions.
UNAMA has engaged with #Afghanistan‘s de facto authorities to seek further information.– Hama News (@Ulamene) July 21, 2025
An eyewitness told AFP last week that while he was driving in Central Kabul, he saw a unit of the Ministry of Amr -ul -Ma’am and Nahi al -Munkar who ‘was asking two women to sit in the car.’
Eyewitnesses said on condition of anonymity that the women were wearing Abaya and made makeup. She refused to sit in the car, but an armed officer forcibly boarded the car.
Taliban officials denied the arrests, saying they had only launched a ‘hijab awareness campaign’.
“No one has been arrested or taken to jail,” said Saif al -Islam Khyber, spokesman for the Ministry of Amar and Nahi al -Munkar.
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Over the past four years, Taliban authorities have gradually left women alone, barred from going to universities, public parks, gym shops and beauty salons, which the United Nations has termed as a ‘gender apartheid’.
The Taliban government says their interpretation of Islamic law ‘guarantees the rights of every individual’ and allegations of discrimination are ‘baseless’.
On Monday, the United Nations Assistant Mission called on Taliban officials to “eliminate all policies and actions that limit human rights and basic freedoms of women and girls.”
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