09/06/2026
Statement of the Coordination Council of the Diplomatic and Consular Missions of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Condemning the Taliban's Detention of Women and Girls and the Violent Crackdown on Peaceful Demonstrators in Herat, Afghanistan
June 09, 2026
The Coordination Council strongly condemns the Taliban's violent crackdown on peaceful protests in Herat, where citizens took to the streets to oppose the detention of women and girls. According to reports, a woman and a child were tragically killed by the Taliban, and tens of others were injured during the suppression of the demonstrations. There are also deeply concerning reports that people are afraid to bring wounded individuals to hospitals, fearing detention, as the Taliban have been searching for, capturing, and jailing those connected to the protests. Reports further indicate that numerous individuals who accompanied the wounded to hospitals were detained. These protests reflect the growing frustration and resistance of the people of Afghanistan in the face of Taliban repression, as well as the deepening and multidimensional crisis unfolding under Taliban rule.
The Coordination Council also strongly condemns the reported detention of women and girls in Herat solely on the basis of their appearance, dress, or presence in public spaces. These actions constitute a grave violation of human dignity, fundamental freedoms, and the basic rights to which every human being is entitled.
The arrests and violent crackdowns in Herat come at a time when the international community, including the United Nations Security Council, continues to express concern over the worsening human rights situation in Afghanistan. They also serve as a stark reminder that any effort to expand or normalize engagement with the Taliban cannot be divorced from the realities faced daily by our women and girls in Afghanistan.
The Council calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all women and girls detained under these measures, as well as all individuals arrested in connection with the demonstrations. It further calls for the urgent cessation of all policies and practices that discriminate on the basis of gender and deny fundamental rights and freedoms. The Council also emphasizes that those responsible for the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators must be held accountable
The Coordination Council calls upon the United Nations, the European Union, its newly appointed Special Representative for Afghanistan, and all members of the international community to ensure that the rights of all Afghanistan's citizens.
particularly women and girls remain at the centre of all engagement and decision-making concerning Afghanistan.
The systematic repression of women and girls, together with the violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations, cannot be overlooked, normalized, or accommodated in any engagement with the Taliban. These actions constitute grave violations of fundamental human rights and undermine the prospects for a peaceful, inclusive, and stable Afghanistan.
The future of Afghanistan cannot be built on the repression of its people, nor on the continued persecution, exclusion, and erasure of women and girls from public life.
Any sustainable path forward must be grounded in respect for human rights, accountability, and the meaningful participation of all Afghans in the country's political, social, and economic life.
