From scholars to slaves: Decoding the 119 Articles of the Taliban’s new social hierarchy | World News

In a disturbing move against human rights, the Taliban regime has enacted a new 119-article criminal code that legalizes domestic violence and establishes a rigid social caste system. This 90-page document, titled De Mahakumu Jazaai Osulnama, was signed by Religious Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in January 2026. It shocked the international community. Rights groups claim that the law reduces women to the status of “property” and formalizes a system of “gender discrimination”.

‘No broken bones’: The logic of state-sanctioned abuse

One of the most alarming parts of the new law allows husbands and “slave masters” to physically punish women and their subordinates. The text states that these beatings are permissible as long as they do not cause “broken bones” or “open wounds.”

Maximum 15 days imprisonment: Even if a “serious” beating causes visible fractures or injuries, the husband may face a maximum of 15 days in jail.

“Justice” obstacle: To seek help, a woman must show her wounds to the judge while fully covered and accompanied by a mahram (male guardian); this is often the same abuser she reports to.

Making escape a crimeArticle 34 of the Law states that a woman who frequently takes shelter in her father’s house without her husband’s permission may be sentenced to three months in prison.

A four-tiered social caste system

The criminal code explicitly rejects the principle of equality before the law and divides Afghan society into four distinct classes. Punishments for the same crime now vary greatly depending on a person’s social status:

– Religious Scholars (Ulema): They receive almost complete immunity; Penalties include “advice” or phone calls.
– Elites (Eşref): They may receive official warnings or subpoenas.
– Middle class: They may be sentenced to prison for crimes.
– Subclass: They face the harshest punishments, including public flogging and corporal punishment.

Legalization of slavery

In a step that human rights experts see as a return to “long-prohibited concepts”, the law repeatedly mentions the term “Ghulam” (slave) and distinguishes between the rights of “free” and “enslaved” people. By giving “masters” the power to impose discretionary punishment, the Taliban effectively incorporated slavery into the national legal system.

Global anger and rights alarms

Human rights organizations such as Rawadari and the Feminist Majority Foundation condemned the law as a “scheme to rule by fear”. The new laws officially repeal the 2009 Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law, which had provided legal protection against forced marriage and gender-based abuse for a decade.

“The Taliban are not preserving culture, they are erasing it by turning families into enforcers and women into legal dependents valued less than animals,” one rights activist said.

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