What changed

B100254/2026

B100258/2026

European Parliament resolution on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan following the Taliban's adoption of the Criminal Procedure Code for Courts

The European Parliament,

having regard to Rule 150 of its rulesprevious ofresolutions procedure,on Afghanistan;

whereas on 5 January 2026, the Taliban leader endorsed the new Criminal Procedure Code for Courts and ordered its publication; whereas on 8 January, the Taliban’s Supreme Court Secretariat circulated the code for its implementation;

having regard to Rule 150 (5) and Rule 136 (4) of its Rules of Procedure;

whereas the code deepens the erosion of women’s rights, denying victims and survivors of gender-based violence vital avenues for protection and redress, while removing essential safety mechanisms by restricting their freedom to seek shelter with family members; whereas the code adds to an extensive regulatory framework imposing brutal restrictions on women and girls, amounting to gender apartheid;

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whereas the code reinforces cruel and inhuman punishments, including the death penalty for a wide range of broadly defined offences such as habitual sodomy; whereas the use of corporal punishment has sharply increased, disproportionately targeting women, girls and LGBT+ people for so-called moral crimes;

whereas in January 2026, the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have adopted a new Criminal Procedure Code for Courts that further entrenches discriminatory practices and institutionalises severe restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms;

whereas the code violates the principle of legality through vague and arbitrary offence definitions, removes fair trial guarantees, and severely restricts legal defence and freedom of expression;

whereas Afghan women and girls continue to face systematic exclusion from education, employment, political participation, public life and freedom of movement, amounting to one of the most serious women’s rights crises in the world leading to their exclusion from working in national and international organisations, including in sectors essential to humanitarian assistance;

Strongly condemns the new Criminal Procedure Code for Courts approved by the Taliban; urges the de facto authorities to immediately revoke it and stop its implementation, and to fulfil their commitments under international law;

whereas several of the Code’s provisions embed discriminatory and punitive rules that disproportionately harm religious minorities, thereby institutionalizing repression and further restrict the right to freedom of religion and belief;

Condemns in the strongest possible terms the state-sanctioned violence, oppression and discrimination that women face at the hands of the Taliban; calls on the de facto authorities to lift all restrictions and immediately restore women’s and girls’ full participation in public life;

whereas the new Code raises grave concerns regarding access to justice, due process guarantees, equal treatment before the law and the increased risk of arbitrary detention, corporal punishment and directed persecution towards women, thus normalizing violence and creating conditions that heighten women’s vulnerability to abuse while further restricting their freedoms;

Stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan; strongly condemns the persistent violation of women’s and girls’ human rights, which amounts to a crime against humanity, as well as the systemic discrimination and persecution of LGBT+ people and minority communities;

whereas the erasure of women from public and institutional life has deprived Afghan women and girls of meaningful representation, legal protection and independent avenues for redress increasing their vulnerability to poverty, forced marriage, trafficking and exploitation;

Urges the EU and its Member States to provide sustained financial, technical and political support to the investigative mechanism for Afghanistan established by the UN Human Rights Council, and to support accountability efforts at the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice and other forms of universal or extraterritorial jurisdiction;

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Calls on the EU and its Member States to adhere strictly to the Council’s five benchmarks, and to use all available instruments to pressure the Taliban to restore human rights; rejects normalising relations and negotiating with Taliban representatives to facilitate forced returns of Afghan citizens; urges host countries to uphold non-refoulement obligations and to halt all expulsions to Afghanistan, especially of women, girls and other persons at risk of persecution;

Strongly condemns the adoption of the Taliban’s Criminal Procedure Code for Courts and expresses deep concern that it further institutionalises gender-based and religion-based discrimination and repression in Afghanistan;

Calls on the EU and its Member States to take concrete steps towards the recognition and codification of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity under international law;

Calls on the Taliban authorities to end the violence against women and girls, to immediately repeal all laws, decrees and practices that discriminate against women and girls and to restore full, equal and meaningful access to education, employment, healthcare and justice, while upholding international humanitarian law;

Calls on the EU and its Member States to step up humanitarian aid and to strengthen support for Afghan civil society and human rights and women’s rights defenders;

Urges the authorities to respect the right to freedom of religion and belief and to protect minority groups, including Hazara Shi’a, Christians, Sikhs, and others;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the HR/VP, the UN and the de-facto authorities in Afghanistan.

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches Afghan women and girls directly and is delivered in ways that preserve their dignity, safety and agency;

Support international efforts to monitor and document human rights abuses and hold the Taliban accountable, particularly for violations against women, ethnic, and religious minorities.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the, the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan and the de-facto authorities of Afghanistan.