KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has condemned the Taliban’s newly ratified vice and virtue laws, warning they impose extensive restrictions on personal freedoms while allowing morality police with broad and arbitrary powers of enforcement.
This week, the Taliban announced the ratification of a “Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice,” consisting of 35 articles that impose significant constraints on civilians, with arbitrary and potentially harsh enforcement measures.
Roza Otunbayeva, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNAMA, described the law as a troubling vision for Afghanistan’s future. She emphasized that it grants moral inspectors discretionary powers to intimidate and detain individuals based on vague and broad lists of infractions.
“It extends the already intolerable restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls, with even the sound of a female voice outside the home apparently deemed a moral violation,” Otunbayeva said.
Otunbayeva further noted that the law intensifies the already unbearable restrictions on Afghan women and girls, with even the sound of a female voice outside the home potentially considered a moral violation.
The law also raises concerns regarding religious freedoms, as it disregards Afghanistan’s diverse religious communities, and introduces additional restrictions that could hinder journalists and the media.
Otunbayeva criticized the timing of this law, stating that after decades of war and during a severe humanitarian crisis, the people of Afghanistan deserve better than facing threats or imprisonment for minor infractions like being late for prayers or possessing a photo of a loved one.
She highlighted that the international community has been trying to engage constructively with the ruling authorities, with the hope of seeing Afghanistan progress toward peace and prosperity, where all citizens have rights and are not merely subjects to be controlled. The increased restrictions on people’s rights and the climate of fear will make this goal harder to achieve.
UNAMA had previously detailed concerns about the human rights implications of such moral oversight policies in a report published in July. The organization is currently reviewing the newly ratified law and assessing its impact on the Afghan population, as well as on humanitarian assistance efforts. UNAMA is also seeking clarification from the de facto authorities on several articles and their enforcement plans.
Despite the concerns, UNAMA acknowledges two positive aspects of the law: it prohibits the mistreatment of orphans and bans the practice of Bacha Bazi, which involves the sexual exploitation of young boys. The Taliban authorities are urged to further strengthen policies and enforcement to protect children from sexual abuse.
UNAMA reminds the de facto authorities that Afghanistan remains a party to seven key international human rights treaties. Additionally, Security Council Resolution 2681 (2023) calls on the Taliban to reverse policies that restrict women’s and girls’ rights and freedoms.
As mandated by the United Nations Security Council, UNAMA continues to monitor and report on human rights and women’s rights issues in Afghanistan, and it maintains direct dialogue with the de facto authorities. Special Representative Otunbayeva is scheduled to report on the situation in Afghanistan to the Security Council on September 18.
