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 害羞草研究所渂ad hijab.害羞草研究所�

It was the first official confirmation of a crackdown on women who don害羞草研究所檛 follow by the Taliban since they returned to power in 2021 害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淓nforcement measures involving physical violence are especially demeaning and dangerous for Afghan women and girls,害羞草研究所� said Roza Otunbayeva, U.N. special envoy and head of the mission.

害羞草研究所淒etentions carry an enormous stigma that put Afghan women at even greater risk,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭hey also destroy public trust.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淎fghan women wear hijab of their own accord,害羞草研究所� he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. 害羞草研究所淭hey don害羞草研究所檛 need to be forced. The Vice and Virtue Ministry hasn害羞草研究所檛 forced anyone (to wear hijab) either.害羞草研究所�

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 害羞草研究所渂ad hijab害羞草研究所� and called it propaganda from the foreign media.

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