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Afghanistan

Is slavery legal again in Afghanistan?

2026-02-03

The BBC blithely ignores the fact that de facto slavery never stopped, not only in Afghanistan but throughout the Ummah — both in obscure backwoods countries like Afghanistan and in the homes of the rich from Arabia to the Indian subcontinent — no matter what the unenforced laws might say on the subject.

[TurkiyeToday] Afghanistan’s stance on slavery has undergone a dramatic legal reversal in recent years. Under the Taliban’s current governance, since 2021, the country’s new legal code has reintroduced the term “slave” in official law–a move unprecedented in over a century of Afghan legislation.

In early 2026, the Taliban authorities approved a new criminal code that, in several articles, explicitly distinguishes between a “free” person and a “slave,” effectively recognizing slavery as a legal category.

For example, Article 15 of this Taliban code states that if a crime does not mandate a fixed (hudud) punishment, it shall be punishable by discretionary penalty (ta’zir), “whether the perpetrator is free or a slave”. Human rights organizations have warned that by using the term “slave” in its laws, the Taliban are legitimizing a status that had long been abolished in Afghanistan. This development stands in stark contrast to the country’s previous legal framework: for decades prior, Afghan law–including constitutions and penal codes–did not recognize slavery in any form.

Importantly, the Taliban have not openly proclaimed a return to slave-holding as an institution; however, the mere inclusion of “slave” in legal texts is symbolic and significant. It signals a departure from Afghanistan’s international commitments and the consensus of the Muslim world in the modern era, which views slavery as incompatible with human dignity and Islamic ethics.

In fact, worldwide, including in Islamic countries, the very concept of slavery today is considered illegitimate and condemned. The Taliban’s revival of this terminology has therefore raised concerns both domestically and abroad. To understand how Afghanistan arrived at this point, it is essential to explore the legal history of slavery in the country, from its roots in law and historical practice, through its abolition in the early 20th century, to the recent changes under Taliban rule.

Posted by:Skidmark

#1 comments); ?>werwer

Posted by: Lord Garth 2026-02-03 16:57

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