Human Rights Watch condemns Taliban's new law that outlaws all protests

Afghanistan’s Justice Ministry published an extensive police ordinance that includes a clause banning all types of protests, prompting Human Rights Watch to denounce the rule as a ruthless attempt to suppress dissent. Elaine Pearson, the organization’s Asia director, said the Taliban authorities are increasingly fearful of any opposition. Amnesty International described the ban as one of the most egregious provisions in the new law, which also extends the maximum period of detention without charge from three to ten days, with possible extensions by court order.

The same legislation permits officers to use force to force a suspect’s repentance and to employ anger, while restricting the use of weapons like sticks or wires without judicial approval. Recent reports note that security forces opened fire on a women’s rights demonstration in Herat in June, killing at least two people, and that the intelligence agency detained two United Nations staff members for eleven days without explanation. Both NGOs argue the law represents a sweeping assault on Afghan human rights.