Human Rights Watch: women’s protests in Herat turned violent, and during the clashes and widespread detentions, a child was killed

Human Rights Watch says Taliban forces used severe violence against protesting women in Herat. The organization said on Thursday that women demonstrators were beaten and also shot at. According to the report, one child was killed and several others were injured in the incident. Reports also indicate that a number of protesters have been detained, although the exact number of those arrested has not yet been confirmed. The protests began in the Jebril area of Herat after a group of women demonstrated against the arrest of several women by the Taliban. On the other hand, Taliban spokesman for the Herat police, Said Masoud Hosseini, told Agence France-Presse that no weapons were used against the protesters. He claimed that the demonstrators were seeking to disrupt public order. Separately, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has also confirmed reports of a child’s death.