The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said Thursday it was deeply concerned by recent arbitrary arrests and detentions by the Taliban government of women and girls for allegedly violating dress codes .

The mission said it was looking into claims of ill treatment of women and extortion in exchange for their release, and warned that physical violence and detentions were demeaning and dangerous.

The Taliban said last week that female police officers have been taking women into custody for wearing B次元官网网址渂ad hijab.B次元官网网址�

It was the first official confirmation of a crackdown on women who donB次元官网网址檛 follow by the Taliban since they returned to power in 2021 B次元官网网址� a crackdown that has echoed events in neighboring Iran, which saw and has long enforced the mandatory hijab.

The U.N. statement said hijab-enforcing campaigns in the capital, Kabul, and the province of Daykundi have been ongoing since Jan. 1, with large numbers of women and girls warned and detained. The mission also said women from religious and ethnic minorities appear to be disproportionately impacted.

B次元官网网址淓nforcement measures involving physical violence are especially demeaning and dangerous for Afghan women and girls,B次元官网网址� said Roza Otunbayeva, U.N. special envoy and head of the mission.

B次元官网网址淒etentions carry an enormous stigma that put Afghan women at even greater risk,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hey also destroy public trust.B次元官网网址�

The Taliban chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the U.N. preoccupation with Afghan women was unwarranted, and dismissed its concerns.

B次元官网网址淎fghan women wear hijab of their own accord,B次元官网网址� he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. B次元官网网址淭hey donB次元官网网址檛 need to be forced. The Vice and Virtue Ministry hasnB次元官网网址檛 forced anyone (to wear hijab) either.B次元官网网址�

In May 2022, the Taliban issued a decree calling for women to only show their eyes and recommending they wear the head-to-toe burqa, similar to restrictions during their previous rule of the country between 1996 and 2001.

A spokesman for the Vice and Virtue Ministry, Abdul Ghafar Farooq, earlier Thursday rejected reports that women and girls were being arrested or beaten for wearing B次元官网网址渂ad hijabB次元官网网址� and called it propaganda from the foreign media.

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