Afghanistan’s Geneva Mission Condemns Taliban’s Penal Code as Discriminatory
Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission in Geneva has declared that the newly released penal code by the Taliban administration extensively violates fundamental principles of human dignity, equality, and justice by institutionalizing discrimination and establishing a blame-based class system.
In response to the publication of this document on Thursday, the mission stated that the penal code neither aligns with Islamic teachings nor conforms to the foundations of a modern nation-state. According to the diplomatic body, such an approach undermines the concept of citizenship and renders social bonds within Afghanistan vulnerable.
The position further noted that the Taliban administration, by creating a social hierarchy, excluding women from public spheres, and criminalizing religious and ethnic diversity, is moving toward the destruction of the social structure and equal citizen rights—a move whose long-term consequences could severely threaten social cohesion.
The Permanent Mission of Afghanistan in Geneva emphasized that Afghanistan’s future must be based on popular sovereignty and the equal rights of all citizens, including women, a principle also recognized in international human rights agreements.
A version of the Taliban’s penal code, obtained by media, justifies killing opponents, recognizes slavery, and defines dancing as a crime. The document declares only followers of the Hanafi school as Muslim, labelling followers of other sects as heretics.
Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan’s representative in Geneva, described the new penal code as a political project aimed at imposing a primitive, tribal, class-based, and discriminatory order, warning that such policies could expose Afghanistan to serious risks and profound social divisions.
