Taliban Detains UN and Women's Rights NGO Staff

The Government of Afghanistan has detained eight international and local personnel, including two staff members of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and six male leaders of the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation (WCLRF).

Intelligence officials detained the two UNAMA staffers in Herat on Sunday. Meanwhile, the WCLRF leadership team was forcibly disappeared in Kabul on July 18, 2026. The NGO staff were taken into custody after being ordered to return to their office to collect electronic devices that had been seized during a previous raid on June 21.

Human Rights Watch characterized the WCLRF arrests as enforced disappearances and warned that such detentions threaten the delivery of lifesaving aid. The organization stated that the Taliban views efforts to assist women and girls as a threat to its rule. The UN confirmed the detentions and noted that it has not been permitted to visit the staff or received information regarding charges.

Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated he is gathering details but lacks final clarity on the situation. These arrests follow a broader pattern of rights restrictions for women and girls since August 2021.