The protesters say they were not demanding special privileges and did not chant political slogans. They shouted only three words: “Work, Education and Freedom.” However, they say the Taliban could not tolerate even these simple demands and responded with gunfire and beatings.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has confirmed that one person was killed during the Taliban’s suppression of protests in the Jebrael area of Herat. The mission said it is also reviewing reports of a second death linked to the incident.

TIME magazine has included Khalida Popal, former captain of Afghanistan’s women’s national football team, in its list of the 100 most influential people in sports for 2026.

The Freedom Seekers Movement in Exile says the public protests in the Jebrael area of Herat are not merely a reaction to a specific incident, but the voice of people who have lived for nearly five years under repression, discrimination, deprivation and the systematic denial of their fundamental rights.