Taliban security forces opened fire on protesters in Herat province on Tuesday, killing at least two people—a woman and a child—according to the BBC, which cited unnamed medical sources in Herat. Men and women had gathered to demonstrate against the recent arrest of women and girls over alleged violations of the Taliban's strict dress code. A doctor at a local hospital, speaking on condition of anonymity over fear of Taliban reprisals, said at least three people were admitted for treatment with gunshot wounds.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show Taliban forces opening fire on protesters and beating them with sticks. In one clip, Taliban security personnel appear to be shooting directly at the crowd. Protesters can be seen fighting back by throwing stones and chanting demands for work, education and freedom.
The protest erupted in response to widespread detention of women and girls in Herat in recent days by the Taliban's morality police force. The Taliban's morality police had recently detained about 30 women and girls in Herat for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements.
The Taliban's rules on attire require women to cover their hair and faces when in public.
Sayed Masoud Hussaini, a police spokesman for Herat province, told CBS News that security forces were fulfilling their legal responsibilities to ensure security and maintain public safety. He denied that civilians were injured by police shooting, characterizing the gathering as people creating tension under the pretext of protesting hijab observance.
United Nations special rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett said he was "alarmed by the excessive use of force against seemingly peaceful protesters in Herat today." He called for defusing tension and respecting citizens' freedom of expression, particularly for women and girls. "Those responsible for violence must be held accountable," Bennett said in a social media post.
Georgette Gagnon, acting head of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, accused the Taliban of stripping women and girls of their most basic rights, including education, employment, free movement and participation in public life. "The Taliban have even criminalized women's voices and faces," she told the Security Council. One woman in a video sent to CBS News said, "Every woman who is arrested in Herat today represents the suffering of millions of Afghan women under the shadow of gender apartheid."
Taliban security forces opened fire on protesters in Herat province on Tuesday, killing at least one woman and a child, according to the BBC. Men and women had gathered to demonstrate against the recent arrest of women and girls over alleged violations of the Taliban's strict dress code. A doctor at a local hospital, speaking on condition of anonymity over fear of Taliban reprisals, said at least three people were admitted for treatment with gunshot wounds.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show Taliban forces opening fire on protesters and beating them with sticks. In one clip, Taliban security personnel appear to be shooting directly at the crowd. Protesters can be seen fighting back by throwing stones and chanting demands for work, education and freedom.
The protest erupted in response to widespread detention of women and girls in Herat in recent days by the Taliban's morality police force. Georgette Gagnon, acting head of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, told the Security Council on Monday that the Taliban's morality police had recently detained about 30 women and girls in Herat for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements.
The Taliban's rules on attire require women to cover their hair and faces when in public. Shaikh Azizulrahman, head of the morality police in Herat, denied in an audio message shared Tuesday with journalists that women were being arrested for violating clothing rules. He insisted that all women in the province observe the Taliban's dress code.
Sayed Masoud Hussaini, a police spokesman for Herat province, told CBS News that security forces were fulfilling their legal responsibilities to ensure security and maintain public safety. He denied that civilians were injured by police shooting, characterizing the gathering as people creating tension under the pretext of protesting hijab observance.
United Nations special rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett said he was "alarmed by the excessive use of force against seemingly peaceful protesters in Herat today." He called for defusing tension and respecting citizens' freedom of expression, particularly for women and girls. "Those responsible for violence must be held accountable," Bennett said in a social media post.
Gagnon accused the Taliban of stripping women and girls of their most basic rights, including education, employment, free movement and participation in public life. "The Taliban have even criminalized women's voices and faces," she told the Security Council. One woman in a video sent to CBS News said, "Every woman who is arrested in Herat today represents the suffering of millions of Afghan women under the shadow of gender apartheid."
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