The Kabul Tribune (KT)— Two Afghan staff members of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan have been detained by the Taliban’s intelligence agency in the western province of Herat, the United Nations said Tuesday, adding that it has not been granted access to them for two days.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, known as UNAMA, said the two male staff members were detained Sunday by officials of the de facto General Directorate of Intelligence.
“We have not been informed of the charges against them or permitted to see them,” U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told AFP.
Haq called on the Taliban authorities to respect the privileges and immunities afforded to U.N. personnel and ensure the staff members’ special status is upheld.
The Taliban authorities did not immediately comment on the detentions.
The arrests come days before the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power after the group seized Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021. Multiple U.N. agencies continue to operate across Afghanistan, providing humanitarian assistance and services in areas including health.
UNAMA this week issued a report urging Afghan authorities to clarify rules governing the use of force, arrests and detention by security institutions and to strengthen accountability.
The detentions also come amid growing concerns over restrictions imposed by the Taliban on aid workers and women. Afghan women, including U.N. staff, are barred from entering U.N. premises under Taliban orders.
In June, about 20 aid workers were detained near the Iranian border in Herat province by the Taliban’s morality police over the length of their beards, according to an internal U.N.-related memo cited by AFP. They were later released.
Dozens of women were also detained by the morality police in June over alleged violations of the Taliban’s dress rules, including failure to wear a chador or burqa. Among them was a hospital worker employed by Doctors Without Borders, which condemned the detention.
The United Nations has said a rare protest against the restrictions was violently dispersed, leaving at least two people dead.
Afghanistan is also facing severe economic and humanitarian pressures amid cuts in international aid and the return of millions of Afghans from Iran and Pakistan in recent years.
