Taliban Release Two Detained U.N. Staff in Herat
The U.N. says it was not told why the employees were held, urging the Taliban to respect U.N. immunities to protect staff.
Overview
- The U.N. announced the two staff members detained in Herat were released and appeared in good health, a development confirmed by U.N. officials on Thursday.
- U.N. mission leaders said they were not formally notified of the reasons for the arrests and understand that any charges have been dropped, and they are pressing Taliban authorities for explanations.
- Human Rights Watch reports that six senior staff from the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation remain in custody after being summoned in July, and their families and lawyers have not been granted access.
- Rights groups say the detentions follow raids, device confiscations and opaque arrests that have targeted organizations working on women’s and children’s rights and that this pattern hinders monitoring and delivery of aid.
- The detentions take place against a backdrop of Taliban restrictions on women and girls since 2021 and cuts to international aid, raising concerns that limits on movement and legal transparency will further curtail humanitarian and rights work.