On Wednesday, the Taliban's Ministry of Justice issued a series of laws codifying same-sex relationships and imposing severe restrictions on LGBTIQ+ people and women's freedom, under the pretext of "combating vice and promoting virtue" in Afghanistan. These laws have been published in a booklet consisting of four chapters and thirty-five articles. This series of new laws entirely violates the personal privacy and human rights of the LGBTQ community, as well as the rights of women and girls.
According to Article 22 (3) and Article 22 (4) of this booklet, same-sex relationships between women are referred to as "SAHAQ," and those between men are referred to as "LAWATAT." Consequently, under Article 22, Afghan citizens are strictly prohibited from engaging in same-sex relationships.
The law also imposes stringent rules on Afghan women and girls. Article 13 states that "covering the entire body of a woman is obligatory." Additionally, the Taliban's new laws ban both the visibility of women's faces and the sound of their voices in public.
The Afghan LGBT Organization (ALO) strongly condemns the recent actions taken by the Taliban's Ministry of Justice in the strongest possible terms. The newly issued laws not only criminalize same-sex relationships, targeting the LGBTQ community, but also impose harsh restrictions on the freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan. These laws represent a severe violation of personal privacy, human dignity, and fundamental human rights. ALO stands firmly against these oppressive measures and calls on the international community to act swiftly in defense of the rights and freedoms of all Afghan citizens. We urge the international community and human rights organizations to hold the Taliban accountable for the crime of Gender Persecution.
