Afghanistan passes new law to legalise domestic v!0lence

Afghanistan’s hardline Taliban government has introduced a revised 90-page penal code that effectively legalises domestic violence.

The new law sharply curtails women’s liberties, and undoes protections previously afforded under Afghan law.

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Under the new framework, husbands are permitted to physically punish their wives and children as long as the force used does not cause “broken bones or open wounds.”

If a wife suffers visible injuries such as fractures or bruises and can prove the abuse in court, the husband faces a maximum jail term of just 15 days.

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Aside condoning violence, the code also contains provisions that restrict women’s freedom of movement.

A married woman may be jailed for up to three months if she is found to have visited her relatives without her husband’s explicit permission.

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Critics say the language in the law effectively treats wives as subordinate or even as the “property” of their husbands, stripping away crucial legal protections.

The new code undermines earlier legislation which was adopted under the previous government and offered legal recourse to victims of gender-based violence.

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Rawadari issued a statement warning that the changes will legitimise abuse, maltreatment and punishment of women and children.

The group also said the restrictions on women’s ability to see family members dismantle “one of the few protections available in a country where there are already very limited formal and legal remedies.”