The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Amnesty International says a newly endorsed criminal regulation by the Taliban leader could deepen violence and discrimination against women and minority groups in Afghanistan.
In a legal analysis released on March 6, 2026, Amnesty
International said the new Criminal Procedure Regulation of the Courts
introduces broad and vague offenses and imposes harsher punishments that could
significantly affect human rights in the country.
According to the rights group, the regulation criminalizes
domestic violence only when a woman suffers broken bones or visible injuries,
while also prescribing a three-month prison sentence for women who repeatedly
visit family members without their husband’s permission and refuse a court
order to return home.
Amnesty said the regulation also introduces strict penalties
for religious non-compliance, harsher punishments for people of lower social
status, and provisions that appear to recognize slavery.
Other provisions reportedly authorize the destruction of property
as punishment, institutionalize corporal punishment such as flogging, and
expand the use of the death penalty for a wider range of offenses.
Smriti Singh, Amnesty International’s South Asia director,
said the regulation makes an already restrictive legal system more severe, with
women and girls among those most affected.
“The regulation makes an already repressive legal system
even more draconian,” Singh said, adding that the provisions normalize domestic
violence and impose further restrictions on women’s movement and autonomy.
Amnesty International called on the Taliban to revoke or
revise the regulation and align it with international human rights standards,
while urging the international community to condemn the measure.
The organization said the regulation could also impact
several areas of human rights, including women’s rights, freedom of religion,
protection from torture, fair trial standards, equality before the law and the
use of the death penalty.
Background
According to Amnesty International, the Taliban leader
endorsed the regulation on Jan. 5, 2026, and ordered its publication in the
official gazette. The Taliban Supreme Court secretariat circulated the
regulation to courts on Jan. 8 for implementation.
However, Amnesty said the regulation has not yet been
officially published, and the Taliban authorities did not respond to the
organization’s request for an official copy.
A media outlet also reported on Feb. 15, 2026, that a person
in Badghis province had been prosecuted under the regulation for allegedly
insulting the Taliban leader.
