A member of the European Parliament has criticised the Taliban’s newly issued penal code, saying it legitimises gender apartheid and the enslavement of women and girls, and argued that normalising relations with the group is unacceptable.
Hannah Neumann wrote on X on Wednesday that accountability for Taliban actions was overdue, adding: “No normalisation with the Taliban!”
The penal code has prompted a wave of domestic and international reactions. Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, has urged the Taliban to repeal discriminatory laws and decrees.
Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Scholars has also said the Taliban’s penal code was not drafted in line with Islamic teachings and is “contrary to the Quran and Sunnah”.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice has warned that objections to the group’s laws would be treated as a crime and that critics would be referred to judicial authorities.
The code, signed by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, includes provisions that critics say fail to criminalise the beating of children, recognise slavery, criminalise dancing, define Sunnis as Muslims while labelling others as heretics, and allow the killing of Taliban opponents.
Source: Afghanistan International
