In Afghanistan, the “Taliban” government has adopted a new law that effectively legalizes violence against women.
Modern.az reports that the information was published by the “Daily Mail” newspaper.
According to the new Penal Code, husbands are permitted to use physical force against their wives, provided no serious injury is inflicted.
The 90-page code, approved by “Taliban” supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, introduces a differentiated punishment system based on the social status of the perpetrator.
Article 9 of the code divides Afghan society into four categories: religious scholars (ulema), members of the elite (ashraf), the middle class, and the lower class.
According to experts, this classification, in essence, re-establishes the division between "free" and "slave" and creates a hierarchical system that equates women with slaves.
The code contains provisions that permit "slave masters," particularly husbands, to inflict physical punishment on their wives or women under their subordination.
However, if the crime is committed by clerics or a member of the elite class, the punishment is limited to a warning or a summons to court.
For representatives of the middle class, a similar crime may result in imprisonment, while for the lower class, both physical punishment and imprisonment are stipulated.
The new Penal Code has already been sent to the country's courts. This document has drawn criticism and outrage from human rights defenders and activists outside Afghanistan.
