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Snapshot 7:Wed, Sep 2, 2026 2:49:19 PM GMT last edited by Vandita

Afghanistan: Taliban Releases New Criminal Code

Afghanistan: Taliban's Releases New LawCriminal Legalizes Slavery in AfghanistanCode

Afghanistan: Taliban Releases New Criminal Code
Above: An armed Taliban security personnel stands guard at a rehabilitation center in Kandahar on Nov. 17, 2025. Image credit: Sanaullah Seiam/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin


The Taliban's new criminal code explicitly legalizes slavery and creates a rigid class hierarchy where religious scholars receive polite notifications while the poor face beatings and lashes for the same offenses. This theocratic system divides citizens into Muslims and non-Muslims, free people and slaves, men and women, granting husbands and masters legal authority to punish those beneath them. The document proves that any sharia-based legal framework inevitably produces institutionalized inequality and human bondage.

The Criminal Code follows established Sharia and Hanafi jurisprudence that has existed in Afghan courts long before the current government, with fixed punishments applying equally to everyone regardless of status. Critics misunderstand that this procedural code for courts differs fundamentally from a constitution, and their objections stem from ignorance rather than legitimate legal analysis. Opposing these laws means opposing Islamic law itself, which is impermissible and constitutes a prosecutable crime.


Metaculus Prediction

There's a 40% chance that Taliban-controlled Afghanistan will be used as a base for anti-NATO terrorism before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


Editor's Note

Several claims appearing in international coverage do not accurately reflect the code's actual wording, structure or legal function. Readers should therefore exercise caution in distinguishing between what the law expressly codifies and how its provisions are subsequently interpreted.
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.4.1

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.4.1