Taliban Issue Penal Code: From Authorizing the Killing of Opponents to Dividing People into Free and Slave

Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has endorsed a penal code for Taliban courts consisting of 119 articles, which effectively authorizes the killing of armed opponents and sets out punishments for a wide range of alleged crimes. On January 7, the Taliban Supreme Court published the Penal Code of Courts, endorsed by Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the group’s leader. The document spans ten chapters, 119 articles, and 60 pages and was released in Pashto. The code took effect immediately upon issuance and covers a broad range of issues. Its provisions w…