Taliban detains women and girls in Afghanistan for dress code violations

Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have confirmed the detention of several women and girls in Kabul and the Herat province for violating the mandatory dress code. Saifudin Jaibar, a spokesperson for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, characterized the failure to wear the burka as a ‘grave crime.’

Jaibar stated that under current laws, Muslim women are required to cover themselves from hair to toes. In Herat, reports indicated that eight women were detained on Saturday; they were released the following morning after providing a commitment and paying bail.

These arrests follow a pattern of restrictions imposed by the Taliban since regaining power in August 2021. These measures include prohibitions on secondary and university education, limitations on employment opportunities, and restrictions on women's participation in public life, all of which have drawn criticism from international and local human rights organizations.