Bush Center Report Warns Taliban Penal Code Institutionalizes Oppression in Afghanistan
The George W. Bush Institute has issued a new report warning that the penal code endorsed by the leader of the Taliban administration establishes a framework that, according to the institute, permits “oppression and slavery” of Afghan citizens and normalizes violent punishments.
The report states that this penal code encourages corporal punishment of individuals who are unjustly deemed guilty by Taliban leaders. The authors view this approach as a sign of an organized effort to consolidate control through violence and repression.
The institute emphasizes that the penal code is primarily based on the Taliban’s extremist interpretation of Sharia law and their strict authoritarianism, aimed at imposing absolute obedience to Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, on Afghan society.
According to the report, the new Taliban penal code includes the strict enforcement of more than 200 decrees issued by the Taliban leader, many of which directly target women and other marginalized groups.
The Bush Center notes that since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the use of violence and domineering methods has become a permanent part of their control tactics, with widespread human suffering acting as a central pillar of maintaining power within the Taliban administration.
The report characterizes the implementation of the new penal code as another step toward normalizing corruption, extremism, and tyranny by the Taliban, warning that this legal framework further undermines Afghanistan’s former constitution and national penal laws.
According to the institute, as a result of these policies, fundamental human rights protections and the principle of equality before the law have been lost for a large portion of Afghanistan’s population, giving rise to a discriminatory class structure in which Taliban affiliates and religious elites enjoy immunity.
The George W. Bush Institute adds that senior officials and loyalists within the Taliban administration are often exempt from harsh punishments, while ordinary citizens—especially women and minorities—face flogging, detention, fines, and even execution.
The report’s conclusion expresses concern about the waning international attention to the human rights situation in Afghanistan, noting that despite verbal condemnations and the lack of international recognition of the Taliban, no effective measures have been taken to hold Taliban leaders and their supporters accountable.
