Women in Afghanistan are increasingly facing arrest and detention for leaving their homes without wearing a full face and body covering. Rights monitors say they have verified at least 16 arrests and detentions, including that of a pregnant woman, in the western city of Herat. Rina Amiri, the former US special envoy for Afghan women, girls and human rights, tells The World’s Host Marco Werman that Taliban forces have opened fire on civilians protesting the restrictions. The post Taliban forces fire on civilians protesting morality police in Afghanistan appeared first on The World from PRX.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, it has steadily tightened restrictions on Afghan women. In the western city of Herat, the restrictions have reached a whole new level. Reports suggest so-called “morality police” are arresting women at hair salons. They’re also stopping women to search their bags for illicit cosmetics. Women in the city have even been detained for leaving home without a garment that entirely covers their bodies and faces.
During the morning of June 9, 2026, residents of Herat took to the streets in protest. Authorities then fired live ammunition at the crowds. The World’s Host Marco Werman spoke with Rina Amiri about what’s happening there. She’s the former US Special Envoy for Afghan women, girls and human rights.
Amiri said that, “Herat is one of the cities throughout Afghan history that has had a population that is mobilized and very independent, and they have pushed back and been supported by their husbands. The Taliban has fired into the crowd, injured several people. I’ve heard that at least three people have been killed. And I’ve also heard that they are planning to do the same thing in Kabul and other urban centers. But what happened is that this is the systematic escalation of what Afghans are calling gender persecution and gender apartheid in Afghanistan. This is not an isolated incident. There are over 250 edicts that the Taliban have imposed, the vast majority of them targeting women and girls. And now they just recently announced that they’re going to further enforce the hijab edict, and they’ve been targeting even women who are fully covered.”
Women report feeling like they’re virtual prisoners, and they’re also targeting the men in the family to make sure that they regulate women and prevent them from leaving the house. What is extraordinary to me is that this is 50% of a population of a country — over 50% — that the world has witnessed having to live under such draconian edicts.
And the world remains silent. There has been some symbolic condemnation, but for 20 years, the international community saw the courage of Afghan women who stood up and were at the forefront of pushing for peace. They were running for office, they were members of parliament and, overnight, they were stripped of the right to work, the right to get an education. And every day the Taliban imposes another draconian and extremist decree. Yet in many ways they are legitimized and they are tacitly and actively supported by many countries.
And what Afghans would want you to know is this is not about Afghan culture. This is about the Taliban’s extreme and radical ideology, which the Afghan people don’t support. That level of vulnerability for their family members is crushing them. And yes, they are standing out and defending their families, and they are also being arrested. And this is the way that the Taliban is making sure that these decrees are enforced, is by going after entire families and communities and targeting them when they defy these extreme policies.
Parts of this interview have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
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