Date: 23/01/2026
Human Rights Defenders Plus (HRD+) considers the Taliban’s new regulation issued on 4th of January 2026 as Criminal Procedure Code for Courts to be a document that institutionalises systematic human rights violations and consolidates rule by coercion—a document founded neither on the will of the people, nor on law, nor on accepted legal standards. By imposing an ideological and exclusive interpretation of religion, this regulation severely restricts and strips away fundamental human rights.
This regulation stands in clear contradiction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and international covenants, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
HRD+ emphasises that:
- This regulation lacks legal and moral legitimacy and cannot serve as the basis for a just order.
- The international community has a duty to formally condemn it and to refrain from any form of normalisation.
- Accountability and targeted sanctions against those who order and perpetrate violations must be pursued.
- Practical and immediate support for victims—especially women, youth, and minorities—must be strengthened.
HRD+ warns that silence and inaction in the face of this regulation amount to the gradual acceptance of institutionalised violence, structural discrimination, and the erasure of human dignity in Afghanistan. Historical experience has shown that no system built on coercion, fear, and the denial of humanity can endure.
We once again reaffirm our commitment to defending human dignity, fundamental freedoms, and justice without discrimination, and we call upon all international institutions, states, awakened consciences, and human rights defenders to adopt a clear, responsible, and effective stance against this evident historical regression.