Local sources have told Nimruz TV that dozens of women in Herat have been detained by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice over the past two months for allegedly violating dress code requirements.
According to the sources, women were detained for reasons including wearing a manteau, not wearing a face covering, using cosmetics or wearing perfume. The sources claim that families were required to pay between 13,000 and more than 20,000 Afghanis as “fines” to secure their release. They also said families and local community elders were required to sign written guarantees before those detained were released.
One woman, identified under the pseudonym “Leilma,” said she was detained two weeks ago while riding on the back of her husband’s motorcycle along Herat’s 64-Metre Road because of her clothing. According to a witness, her husband was also beaten during the arrest and sustained injuries.
Another interviewee, a 16-year-old girl identified by the pseudonym “Zahra,” said she was detained about one month ago along with several other women at the Amriyat intersection in Herat. She alleged that Taliban personnel questioned them not only about their clothing but also about their prayers and religious practices.
Local sources further claimed that many families had been forced to borrow money or seek financial assistance from relatives in order to pay for the release of detained women.
According to several women interviewed by Nimruz TV, the reported increase in detentions has significantly changed daily life in Herat, with fear of arrest limiting women’s presence in public spaces.
Nimruz TV has not independently verified these allegations. The Taliban had not publicly commented on the reported detentions at the time of publication.
