A female paramedic working for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was arrested and detained for two days in Herat, Afghanistan, after being stopped at a checkpoint for not wearing a face covering, the organization confirmed on Friday. The incident occurred as the woman was being driven to work at a hospital by her husband.
According to Sarah Champion, MSF's program manager for Afghanistan, the couple was stopped by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, which enforces the country's strict dress code for women. The paramedic was wearing her approved work uniform, which had been authorized by Afghanistan's Health Ministry for female hospital staff, but was told that not covering her face violated the dress code.
After explaining she was heading to work, she was allowed to leave the checkpoint, but upon arrival at the hospital, both she and her husband were arrested and held for two days. MSF expressed outrage over the arrest, stating that it was part of a broader enforcement of dress code requirements in Herat.
The organization emphasized that this incident is not isolated, as women in Afghanistan already face severe restrictions on movement and access to public life, directly impacting healthcare delivery across the country. The United Nations reported that at least 30 women were arrested in Herat over the weekend for alleged dress code violations, sparking a rare protest on Monday that was violently dispersed by Taliban police, resulting in at least one death and several injuries.
Before their release, the paramedic and her husband were forced to sign a written commitment that she would wear a niqab, a garment covering the entire body and face, leaving only the eyes visible. The document stipulated that failure to comply could result in a one-month jail sentence.
Additionally, the woman's father, brother, and brother-in-law were required to sign the document as guarantors. MSF currently operates seven projects in Afghanistan, focusing on maternity, pediatric, trauma, and tuberculosis care, with women comprising 45% of its nurses and over half of its workforce in maternity projects.