Herat Crackdown: MSF Paramedic Held as Taliban Detain Dozens of Women

A female paramedic working for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was among dozens of women detained during a recent Taliban crackdown over alleged dress code violations in Afghanistan's western city of Herat, highlighting the growing impact of restrictions on women and healthcare workers.

MSF said the employee was travelling to work when she was stopped by officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice because she was not wearing a face covering. The aid group said she was dressed in a Health Ministry-approved hospital uniform and was accompanied by her husband. Despite explaining that she was on her way to work, the couple were later arrested at the hospital and detained for two days.

Before being released, they were reportedly required to sign a written commitment stating that the woman would wear a niqab in public. Several male relatives, including her father, brother and brother-in-law, were also forced to sign the document as guarantors of her compliance.

The incident comes amid a broader campaign in Herat, where the United Nations says 30 women were arrested between June 6 and 7 for alleged violations of Taliban dress regulations, though some reports suggest the actual number may be higher.

The detentions sparked a rare public protest on June 9, with demonstrators demanding greater freedoms and an end to restrictions on women. According to UN officials and rights groups, Taliban security personnel fired on demonstrators and used excessive force to disperse the gathering.

While initial reports spoke of one fatality, later accounts indicated at least two people were killed , including a child, and more than 20 others were injured.

The current protest movement appears to have been largely suppressed after authorities flooded Herat with checkpoints and armed patrols. Humanitarian groups warn that healthcare remains one of the few sectors where women are still permitted to work , making the detention of an MSF employee particularly alarming.