Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have issued a new decree permitting husbands to physically discipline their wives, provided they do not break bones or cause lasting injuries. The directive, reportedly issued last month, was leaked to Afghan rights group Rawadari and later translated into English by the Afghanistan Analysts Network.
This marks the first time since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 that such punishments have been formally codified in writing. Under the code, husbands who inflict serious injuries may face limited punishment of up to 15 days’ imprisonment.
“If a husband beats his wife so severely that it results in a broken bone, or an open wound, or a black and blue wound appears on her body, and the wife appeals to a judge, then the husband will be considered an offender,” the decree states, according to CNN’s translated version.
Expanded Authority and Restrictions
The decree also grants fathers authority to punish children, including for failing to pray, while teachers who cause severe harm such as broken bones are to be dismissed. Activists warn that these provisions will make it nearly impossible for women and children to seek justice in a system already stacked against them.
Women in Afghanistan remain barred from leaving their homes without a male guardian, and their testimony is legally valued at half that of a man’s. Since reclaiming power, the Taliban have banned women from most employment and from attending secondary school and university. UNICEF estimates that more than two million girls and women have been excluded from education.
Wider Legal Provisions
The decree prescribes harsher penalties for animal abuse, including up to five months in prison for forcing animals to fight. It also introduces strict punishments for dissent: insulting Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada carries 39 lashes and a year in prison, while “humiliating senior officials” risks six months in jail and 20 lashes.
The death penalty is sanctioned for a broad range of offences, including spreading beliefs “contrary to Islam,” theft, homosexuality, sorcery, and sexual acts outside heterosexual marriage.
Human Rights Response
Rights groups and international bodies have condemned the decree. Rawadari described it as “incompatible with even the most basic standards of fair trial, including the principle of equality before the law.”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that the decree “legitimises violence against women and children,” adding:
“Afghanistan’s women and girls face extreme gender-based discrimination and oppression that amounts to persecution. The system of segregation is reminiscent of apartheid, based on gender rather than race.”
Women’s rights activist Mahbouba Seraj said the impact is already being felt:
“I cannot tell you the number of calls I’m getting from women who are desperate all over Afghanistan. When you have these kinds of laws being implemented and the husband can decide on everything then forget it. At least before there was a fear of the courts and judges. Women would complain. Now what?”
