UK Representative Calls for Abolishment of Taliban’s Criminal Code
Richard Lindsay, the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, has welcomed a letter from United Nations experts addressed to Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister, urging that the “criminal code of Taliban courts” be abolished. He described the decree as repressive and stressed that human rights must be respected for all Afghans without exception.
On Friday, April 16, Lindsay officially stated that supporting efforts by UN experts to clarify the legal aspects of this criminal code is essential. According to him, any judicial framework in Afghanistan must comply with international human rights standards.
UN experts, in an official letter to the Taliban administration, called for clarification regarding the provisions of the “criminal code of the courts” and raised more than 20 legal questions. They warned that implementing this code could exacerbate human rights violations in the country and increase pressure on religious minorities.
According to the letter, some provisions of the code are drafted in a way that accuses followers of other religions of “heresy.” Furthermore, the decree includes clauses recognizing slavery and permitting husbands to beat their wives up to the point of breaking bones, provoking widespread human rights backlash.
International human rights organizations had previously expressed concern over the Taliban administration’s policies and decrees regarding women’s rights and civil liberties. Now, calls are growing for the abolition of this criminal code and a serious review of the judicial system under Taliban control.
