Taliban bans protests in Afghanistan, says 'no place for it in Islamic law'

The Taliban government has justified its decision to ban all forms of protests in Afghanistan, claiming the new regulation is fully compliant with Islamic law. Human rights organisations have strongly criticised the move.

Last month, the Taliban government issued a new regulation prohibiting all protests in Afghanistan. Since regaining power, protest incidents in the country have been rare. International organisations fear the new ban will further shrink the scope for criticising the government and expressing dissent.

Speaking to AFP at a press conference on Wednesday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the new regulation is "fully compliant with Islamic law." He claimed protests have no basis in Islamic law.

Mujahid said protests are associated with systems where different laws, such as democracy or republicanism, are in place. He argued that under an Islamic system, people can directly express their grievances and concerns to the government without resorting to street protests.

The Taliban spokesman also argued that banning protests would prevent people from "wasting time" and protect private property from being vandalised or damaged during demonstrations.

Human Rights Watch condemned the decision as "cruel," stating that banning protests is another step in the Taliban's efforts to suppress dissent in Afghanistan.

Amnesty International also described the Taliban's recent legal and enforcement changes as another major blow to human rights in Afghanistan, with the protest ban being among the most serious.

Protests in Afghanistan are relatively rare, but recent incidents have seen allegations of deadly force against security forces. According to UN experts, at least two people were killed in June when security forces opened fire on a women's rights protest in Herat.

Human rights groups fear the new ban will further restrict public protest and dissent against government policies in Afghanistan.