Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, on Friday urged the immediate release of women arrested by the Taliban for wearing what the group deems as ‘bad hijab.
Bennett, expressing his concerns on a social media platform, stated, "The recent arrests of women in Kabul, Afghanistan, for ‘bad hijab, which the Taliban has confirmed, sadly indicate increasing restrictions on womens freedom of expression and a broader undermining of their rights."
"They should all be released immediately and unconditionally," he added.
The Womens Political Participation Network reported on Thursday that the Taliban had detained ‘dozens of women in western Kabul over the last three days under the pretext of "bad hijab".
According to the organization, these women were taken to an undisclosed location, and their families have not been informed by the Taliban. Womens rights activists are calling for the womens unconditional release and for serious intervention by the United Nations.
However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied any arbitrary arrests, claiming that any detentions are conducted in accordance with the judicial system of the Taliban.
The Taliban has previously detained several womens rights activists and those advocating for girls education, with at least four such activists reportedly still in Taliban custody."
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/29433
TAGS: