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By Richard Bennett
On 21 August 2024, the Taliban de facto authorities in Afghanistan published the so-called law on the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice. The law codifies and consolidates the many discriminatory decrees, edicts and policies imposed by the Taliban since seizing power in 2021, solidifying the group’s stranglehold on Afghan society. While women and girls bear the brunt of this oppression, no one is spared: men, boys, gender-diverse persons, ethnic and religious minorities, marginalized communities and the independent media all face a deeply repressive regime that dictates almost every aspect of life.
The announcement of the law sparked an immediate outcry from Afghan human rights defenders, in particular women, who have been at the forefront of resistance to the Taliban’s policies of oppression. The law was also condemned by United Nations experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, and by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the Security Council, international non-governmental organizations and members of the international community.
Keywords: Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice law, Taliban de facto authorities, Gender-based oppression, Human rights defenders’ outcry, UN condemnation, Repressive decrees and policies