Afghanistan: Taliban Approve Law Allowing Slavery, Sexual Exploitation, and Child Abuse Under Religious Justification

Image: Jihad Watch

The Supreme Council of National Resistance for the Salvation of Afghanistan has strongly condemned the Taliban’s newly approved penal code, warning that it would drag the country into conditions “far worse than the Middle Ages.” In a statement released on Friday, the council described the move as a calculated and deliberate effort, arguing that it is designed to “distort the image of Islam in the eyes of global public opinion” while institutionalizing repression under the guise of religious authority.

The opposition body stated that the penal code governing Taliban-controlled courts represents a blatant violation of human dignity, as well as religious and sectarian equality. According to the council, several provisions in the law formalize discrimination, cruelty, and abuse, embedding them into Afghanistan’s judicial system. It warned that the code is not merely a legal framework but a tool to legitimize systemic oppression and to suppress dissent through fear and violence.

The council further highlighted that the code enforces explicit religious discrimination by recognizing followers of only one sect as Muslims, while labeling adherents of other sects as heretics. This, it said, effectively strips large segments of the population of their religious identity and legal protection, deepening sectarian divides and marginalizing minority communities.

In particularly stark language, the council said the penal code divides Afghan society in a “primitive and medieval” manner. It accused the Taliban of legitimizing practices akin to slavery, reducing women to the status of concubines, and defining husbands as masters and owners of women. The statement also condemned the range of degrading and inhumane punishments authorized under the code, warning that such measures would normalize cruelty and institutionalize violence across society.

According to documents obtained by Afghanistan International, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has formally endorsed the penal code, which contains 119 articles. The code grants sweeping powers to judicial institutions, including the authority to sentence political opponents and critics to death. Under Article 4, Clause 6, citizens are even permitted to personally punish others if they witness what is defined as a “sin,” effectively encouraging vigilantism and mob justice.

The code also explicitly recognizes slavery, using the term ghulam (slave) in multiple articles. This formal acknowledgment of slavery represents a direct violation of international law and human rights conventions, raising serious concerns about the Taliban’s intent to normalize forced servitude within Afghanistan’s legal structure.

These concerns are reinforced by a new report titled “Human Rights Report: Taliban Approves Judicial Law Legalizing Slavery, Violence Against Children,” published by Shia Waves on January 24, 2026. The report, issued by the human rights organization Al-Tasamuh, states that the Taliban’s new judicial principles not only formalize slavery but also permit physical violence against children, while failing to restrict other forms of repression.

According to the report, the law defines only limited forms of prohibited violence, such as bone fractures or visible skin injuries. Acts such as beating, psychological humiliation, and even sexual abuse are not criminalized in the absence of such physical damage. This effectively creates legal space for widespread abuse without accountability.

Article 48 of the law allows for the punishment of children aged ten and above on religious grounds, a provision that human rights groups say exposes minors to harsh physical and psychological punishment. The report also notes that the legislation entrenches a system of slavery through repeated references to the term “slave” in multiple provisions, further violating international human rights standards.

In addition, the law authorizes the killing of individuals labeled as “rebels,” a category that includes activists and political opponents. It also permits arbitrary violence against people accused of committing “sins,” creating a legal environment where accusations alone can lead to severe punishment or death.

The report further reveals that the law classifies citizens into four distinct social classes, with penalties varying based on social status. It draws clear distinctions between religious scholars, nobles, and lower classes, fundamentally undermining the principle of equality before the law and entrenching a rigid, hierarchical social order.

Religiously, the law applies exclusively to followers of the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, criminalizing any deviation from it. This effectively outlaws religious diversity and criminalizes alternative interpretations of Islam. The legislation also bans cultural practices such as dancing, without providing clear definitions, leaving broad scope for arbitrary enforcement, harassment, and arrests.

Together, these provisions paint a picture of a legal system that, according to critics and human rights organizations, institutionalizes discrimination, violence, and inequality, while reversing decades of international norms related to human rights, religious freedom, and the protection of women and children.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)