The UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a new report that documented the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, which also shows an increase in restrictions on the rights of women.

The report addressed the ban on women’s beauty salons, saying that salons that have continued to operate beyond the deadline, in contravention of the edict, have been the target of harsh responses by the de facto authorities.

The report covered the period from July to September 2023.

It also shows that around 25 beauty salon owners and their employees gathered in Kabul to hold a peaceful protest against the ban on July 19, and “four female protestors were arrested and released later the same day.”

UNAMA also reported on the restrictions on women’s freedom of movement, saying that on 26 August, in Bamyan province, “the de facto Minister of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice announced that women are banned from visiting Band-e-Amir National Park due to noncompliance with the hijab order.”

The report further said that women and girls continue to be excluded from secondary and tertiary education and the “de facto authorities” took various steps throughout July, August and September to ensure that existing bans were fully implemented.

UNAMA also referred to the ban on travel for female students to the UAE. “On 23 August at Kabul International Airport, de facto Police prevented a group of female students from traveling to Dubai to pursue higher education, having been accepted to a program funded by a UAE businessman, because they were not all accompanied by mahrams,” it said. But it also said that some of the women were subsequently able to travel to Dubai.

According to UNAMA, in contrast with the same period in 2022, it documented far fewer civilian casualties, largely due to a significant reduction in improvised explosive device attacks.

On 14 August in Khost city, UNAMA said, “next to Speen mosque, an explosion occurred at Mula Hotel.”

“Five people were killed (one civilian and four Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members) and at least 18 wounded (12 civilians, six TTP members),” the report said, adding that some sources stated that the attack was carried out by a drone and that the targets were TTP fighters, who often frequented the hotel, “however, there has been no claim of responsibility to date.”

It also highlighted the “extra judicial killings” of some former Afghan military personnel as well as treatment of detainees by the Islamic Emirate’s forces.

The report found that in places of detention managed by the de facto Office of Prison Administration, instances of ill-treatment were rare.

“The report found that in places of detention managed by the de facto Office of Prison Administration, instances of ill-treatment were rare and overall respect for procedural safeguards was higher,” it reads.