On the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan following the Taliban's adoption of the Criminal Procedure Code for Courts

B100254/2026

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

(2026/2737(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to Rule 150 of its rules of procedure,

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;

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;

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 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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

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 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;

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