Afghanistan: Taliban Use Excessive Force Against Protesters

Click to expand Image Afghan women walk across a street in Herat on June 8, 2026. © 2026 Mohsen Karimi/AFP via Getty Images (New York) – Taliban security forces in Afghanistan used excessive force against protesters in the city of Herat on June 9, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. They beat protesters and shot toward the crowds, killing a child and injuring others, and detained an unknown number of people. The protest followed recent arrests of women in Herat accused of violating the authorit