Taliban bans protests across Afghanistan in police law

A new Taliban police law bans all types of protests across Afghanistan, drawing criticism from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

The 84-page legislation, published by the justice ministry, sets out changes to law enforcement nationwide, including a rule that “all types of protests are banned”.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said the measure was “another step in the Taliban's ruthless effort to suppress all dissent”. She said Taliban authorities feared dissent and were escalating repression.

Amnesty International described the police law as “another sweeping assault on human rights in Afghanistan”, calling the protest ban one of its most serious provisions.

The Afghan government did not respond to AFP requests for comment on the protest ban.

Demonstrations have been rare during the Taliban administration's five years in power. A group of UN experts said at least two people were killed in June when security forces allegedly opened fire at a women's rights protest in the western city of Herat.

The new law also extends detention without charge from three days to 10, or longer by court order. This month, the intelligence agency detained two UN employees for 11 days without giving a reason.

The legislation says police cannot hit prisoners with weapons such as sticks or wires without a court order. It also says officers can use force to get a suspect to repent and are allowed to use anger.