Taliban law bans all protests in Afghanistan

The Taliban's de facto government has issued a new police law that bans all demonstrations in Afghanistan and expands security forces' powers to maintain public order, including the use of firearms and other coercive measures Source: El Nacional (VE). The regulation, approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, comprises five chapters and 53 articles, according to an official copy provided to EFE by the Ministry of Justice Source: infobae.

Key provisions

• Article 50 states: "Any type of demonstration within the territory of Afghanistan is prohibited," formalizing a practice applied de facto since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 Source: El Nacional (VE).
• Article 37 authorizes the use of water cannons, handcuffs, rubber and electric batons, shields, spiked barriers, metal barriers, weapons, ammunition, and explosive materials to maintain order Source: infobae.
• The law also permits the use of firearms during uprisings, armed crimes against security, and armed confrontations Source: El Nacional (VE).

Context and reaction

The law eliminates any legal margin for peaceful protests, political marches, or other gatherings, and obliges police to cooperate with the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice on restrictions regarding the display of images in streets and intersections Source: infobae. In June, a citizen protest in Herat against the arbitrary arrest of dozens of women was suppressed with gunfire by Taliban forces, leaving more than twenty injured and at least two dead, according to the UN Source: El Nacional (VE). The new legislation formalizes practices previously applied through orders and decrees, turning them into explicit prohibitions and powers Source: infobae.