UN concerned over Taliban arrests of Afghan women and girls for alleged dress code violations
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The United Nations mission in Afghanistan says it’s deeply concerned by recent “arbitrary arrests and detentions” by the Taliban of women and girls for allegedly violating dress codes regarding the Islamic headscarf, or hijab. The mission said on Thursday it was looking into claims of ill-treatment of women and extortion in exchange for their release, and warned that physical violence and detentions were demeaning and dangerous. The Taliban said last week that female police officers have been taking women into custody for wearing “bad hijab.” It was the first official confirmation of a crackdown on women who don’t follow the dress code imposed by the Taliban since they returned to power in 2021.