The Kabul Tribune (KT) — European Parliament member Hannah Neumann has criticized the Taliban over what she described as a newly introduced “criminal law” in Afghanistan, saying it codifies gender apartheid and the de facto enslavement of women and girls.
In a post on X, Neumann said accountability for Taliban
crimes is long overdue and stressed that there should be “no normalization with
the Taliban.”
She said the measure, presented by the Taliban as a criminal
law, further entrenches systemic discrimination and repression, particularly
against women and girls.
Background:
The criticism comes after the Taliban quietly introduced a new Criminal
Procedure Code on Jan. 4, 2026, consisting of 119 articles in 10 chapters and
three sections, according to rights groups. The document was reportedly sent to
provincial courts without public announcement or consultation. Human rights
organizations say the code removes basic legal protections, including access to
legal counsel and due process, and gives broad discretionary powers to judges,
raising concerns about arbitrary punishment and further restrictions on fundamental
rights
