Domestic Vi%lence Legalised In Afghanistan As Taliban Introduce Harsh New Laws
The Taliban have enacted a shocking new penal code in Afghanistan that effectively legalises domestic vi%lence, marking a severe rollback of women’s rights in the country.
The 90-page legislation permits husbands to physically p¥nish their wives and children, provided the ab¥se does not cause “broken bones or open wo¥nds.” Under the new rules, cases of more serious ab¥se, described as “obscene force,” carry a maximum sentence of only 15 days in prison and convictions will only be pursued if the wife can prove the ab¥se in court.
In addition, married women can face up to three months in jail for visiting relatives without their husband’s explicit consent. The laws treat women as the “property” or “sl@ves” of their husbands, dismantling protections previously guaranteed under the 2009 Elimination of Vi%lence Against Women (EVAW) law introduced during the US-backed government.
Exiled Afghan human rights group Rawadari, which obtained a copy of the penal code, warned that the new rules will legitimise ab¥se, mistreatment, and domestic p¥nishment of women and children, exposing them to ongoing vi%lence. The restrictions on women’s ability to visit family members further remove one of the few legal protections available in a country with minimal formal remedies.
