Tehran- IRAF- Nadim made the remarks during a graduation ceremony for madrasa students in Paktia, claiming that the Taliban’s laws are “derived from Sharia,” and that any criticism of them amounts to “hostility toward Islam.” With a harsh tone, he declared:
“These laws were not made to please infidels. Now that the penal code has been approved, some people raise their voices saying it’s too strict. They are the ones who want to drive Sharia out of our society.”
Wide criticism of the Taliban’s controversial judicial code
The newly released judicial code has triggered a wave of reactions across Afghanistan. Human rights activists, political figures, and even some religious scholars argue that the document is not only incompatible with fundamental human rights but is based on the Taliban’s narrow and ideological interpretation of Islam.
Reviews of the document show that the Taliban have sought to criminalize virtually any form of dissent. For example:
Insulting Taliban officials: 20 lashes + 6 months in prison
Sheltering opponents: 39 lashes + 5 years in prison
In the religious section, punishments have been outlined that have drawn significant backlash. For instance, followers of the Hanafi school of Islam who convert away from it face two years in prison.
Harsher punishments for women
Legal experts warn that the code explicitly targets women, imposing far stricter penalties on them compared to men in similar cases.
According to Article 58, if a woman renounces her religion and later returns to it, she will face life imprisonment and ten lashes every three days.
Meanwhile, Article 32 states that if a woman is beaten by her husband and visible bruises or fractures appear on her body, the man will be sentenced to only 15 days in prison — a ruling that, according to critics, amounts to the legal reinforcement of domestic violence.
