Bakhtar News Agency, the Taliban-controlled state media outlet, has published a video showing a gathering of girls in Herat Province in which the importance of dress and hijab, in accordance with the group’s views, is emphasized.
According to the report, the event was held in a closed and enclosed venue, and no detailed information has been released regarding the circumstances under which it was organized. It also remains unclear under what conditions the participants attended the gathering.
In the video, the faces of all participants are concealed. However, based on their appearance, most of those present appear to be children and adolescents.
The video was released amid reports of a crackdown on protest gatherings in Herat’s Jebrail district. According to local sources, the demonstrations were met with intervention by Taliban forces, resulting in the death of at least one person and injuries to several others.
Taliban-affiliated media outlets in Herat generally refrain from publishing images showing individuals’ faces, citing the group’s “Promotion of Virtue” regulations. However, following the recent protests in Jebrail and the ensuing domestic and international reactions, Bakhtar News Agency published images of several individuals an action that has drawn attention given the Taliban’s stated restrictions on photographing and filming people.
In the video, the girls hold banners bearing slogans such as “Hijab Means Freedom and Dignity” and speak in front of cameras belonging to the Taliban’s official media outlet.
The event was publicized at a time when Jebrail district in Herat had recently witnessed protests against dress-code restrictions and the detention of several women.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
