Domestic violence now legal in Afghanistan as Taliban rolls out new laws

Global outrage is mounting after reports that Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban authorities have introduced a new penal code widely criticised for weakening protections for women and children.

The new 90-page law allegedly allows husbands to physically punish their wives and children, provided the punishment does not result in severe visible injuries.

Under the reported rules, a husband faces a maximum of 15 days in prison in cases described as “obscene force”, such as situations involving clear fractures or serious injuries. Legal action can reportedly only proceed if the wife is able to prove abuse in court.

The new legal framework also reportedly allows authorities to jail married women for up to three months if they visit relatives without their husband’s permission.

Human rights campaigners say the law effectively treats women as property and reverses protections previously provided under the 2009 Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law.

Exiled Afghan rights group Rawadari, which claims to have obtained the penal code document, warned the law could legitimise abuse and expose women and children to continued violence.

The group called on the international community, including the United Nations, to urgently intervene and stop the implementation of the law.