UK Special Envoy Labels Taliban Criminal Court Decree 'Unjust,' Urges Revocation

The United Kingdom's special envoy for Afghanistan has criticized the Taliban's Decree Twelve regulating criminal court procedures as unjust and repressive, calling for its revocation.

Richard Lindsay referenced a letter sent on the tenth of April by UN human rights experts to Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The letter raised more than twenty legal questions about the decree and warned that it is incompatible with international human rights standards.

The UN experts stated that the decree lacks fundamental fair trial guarantees, including the presumption of innocence, the right to a defense lawyer and effective appeals. They cited a lack of transparency, vague definitions of crimes and the potential to undermine equality before the law and protection from torture. The concerns could lead to arbitrary enforcement against activists, religious minorities and other vulnerable groups.

The decree took effect in January and was drafted without reference to Afghanistan's previous constitution or recognized legislative processes.

It has also been criticized for provisions that recognize slavery, accuse followers of other religions of heresy, permit husbands to beat wives to the point of breaking bones and exacerbate human rights violations against religious minorities.

Lindsay stressed that the decree must be repealed to ensure respect for human rights for all Afghans.