The Taliban has introduced a new penal code in Afghanistan that formalises some of its most hardline policies, prompting concern among human rights groups about the consequences for women and children. Signed by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, the 90-page criminal code allows husbands to physically discipline their wives and children as long as it does not result in “broken bones or open wounds.”
But this is not the first time such a law has been passed. The Taliban have enacted a sweeping set of laws and decrees that dramatically curtail the rights of women and girls across Afghanistan, drawing sharp condemnation from United Nations experts and international human rights organisations.
