UN staff freed in Herat after week-long Taliban detention, motives still unclear

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported that two of its staff members, taken into custody in Herat on Aug. 9, were released on Thursday and seemed to be in good health. UNAMA said it has not been formally notified of the reasons for the arrests and believes the charges have been withdrawn, while continuing to press the de facto Taliban authorities to uphold UN immunities and staff freedom of movement.

The release occurs amid a series of recent detentions by the Taliban, noted last week by Human Rights Watch, which said six senior members of the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation have been missing since July 18 after a raid on their office. Those six remain detained, and HRW has called for family visits and legal access. Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on women and have faced criticism for suppressing dissent, including a violent crackdown on a protest in Herat that left at least one person dead. The UN mission’s mandate includes promoting humanitarian assistance, human rights, and gender equality throughout Afghanistan.