HERAT, Afghanistan — A Doctors Without Borders (MSF) paramedic was detained for two days in Afghanistan after being accused of violating the country’s dress code while traveling to work at a hospital in Herat, the humanitarian organization said.
According to MSF, the paramedic was wearing a Health Ministry-approved hospital uniform and was being driven to work by her husband when the couple was stopped at a checkpoint, CTV News reported. Officials told her she was in violation of dress requirements because she was not wearing a face covering.
| READ NEXT: The McClain convictions were reversed. That does not mean EMS is off the hook.
After explaining that she was on her way to work, the paramedic continued to the hospital. However, she and her husband were later arrested at the facility and detained for two days, MSF said.
Before their release, both were required to sign a document stating that the paramedic would wear a niqab in public. Several male relatives were also required to sign as guarantors, according to MSF.
MSF condemned the detention, calling it disproportionate and warning that restrictions on women can affect access to healthcare and the delivery of medical services. The organization operates seven healthcare projects in Afghanistan and relies heavily on female healthcare workers, particularly in maternity care.
The detention occurred amid a broader enforcement campaign in Herat in which dozens of women were reportedly detained for alleged dress code violations.
