Two Afghan nationals working for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan have been detained by Taliban intelligence services in Herat, the organisation confirmed. The pair have been held since Sunday, 9 August, and the UN said it has received no information on any charges and has been denied consular access to visit them.
The detentions come days before the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power and amid a wider crackdown in Herat, where dozens of women accused of violating dress codes have been arrested by morality police since early June. A protest against those arrests on 9 June was violently dispersed, leaving at least two dead, according to the UN.
UNAMA has not been informed of the charges and called for the immediate release of its staff.