Amnesty International has expressed concern over the suppression of public protests in Herat.
The organization said on Tuesday, June 9, that media reports and videos showing Taliban forces opening fire on protesters who were demonstrating against the detention of women and the enforcement of the group’s dress code regulations are “deeply alarming.”
Amnesty International added that the Taliban’s reported use of live ammunition against protesters represents a “shocking escalation” of the group’s attacks on the rights to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, and women’s rights in Afghanistan.
The organization stressed that people who protest peacefully should not be met with bullets and violence.
Amnesty International called on the Taliban to immediately end the unlawful use of force against protesters, release those who have been detained, and respect the rights of women and girls, including freedom of movement, freedom of expression, and the right to peaceful assembly.
The reaction comes after Taliban forces on Tuesday suppressed public protests in the Jebrail area of Herat, which had been organized in response to the detention of women.
