Taliban revives slavery in Afghanistan; divides Afghan society into 4 classes, imposes SHOCKING laws

Kabul: The Taliban rulers of Afghanistan have made a shockingly inhumane change to its laws. The practice of slavery, which had disappeared from the world centuries ago, has been reinstated by the Afghan Taliban administration.

What has the Afghan Taliban done?

A new Criminal Procedure Code recently issued by the Taliban administration in Afghanistan has sparked considerable controversy. Approved by Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in January 2026 and ordered to be implemented in the courts, this code explicitly recognizes slavery. The document uses the terms "slave" (Ghulam) and "master" in several places.

Human rights organizations worldwide have expressed concern and reacted strongly to this. Human rights groups say the Taliban code divides citizens into four unequal classes, with slaves included as a legal category. This new law also grants immunity to mullahs or clerics from prosecution for crimes. This means that if a mullah commits a crime, they cannot be prosecuted.

What are the new rules imposed by the Taliban on Afghanistan?

Article 9 of the Taliban's new code divides Afghan society into four classes, with mullahs and clerics at the top. They will not be punished for any crime, but merely given a warning. Those at the lowest level, however, will face both imprisonment and corporal punishment. This claim was made by the organization Rawadari. In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, the punishment for the same crime will now vary depending on the class of the offender.

The human rights organization Rawadari stated that this divides society into "free" and "slaves," which is completely prohibited under international law. Recognizing slavery in any form is against human dignity and equality. The Taliban's code divides society into four classes: Ulema, Ashraf, middle class, and lower class.

Through this code, the Taliban is indirectly attempting to legitimize a form of slavery. This is considered a step that will further strengthen the already existing restrictions on the rights of women, children, and minorities in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, the Taliban's supreme leader, Akhundzada, approved a 119-article legal document. Its purpose is to guide judicial processes in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

How have rivals of Taliban in Afghanistan reacted?

The Supreme Council of National Resistance for the Salvation of Afghanistan, an alliance of political leaders and groups opposing the Taliban regime, said that "these provisions are against the principles of equality, human dignity, and international prohibitions on slavery, and are 'even worse than the Middle Ages.'"

Former Afghan Attorney General Mohammad Farid Hamidi wrote on X that this is a document that condemns all citizens. He said that humiliating people is a clear insult, a direct attack on human dignity, and a serious violation of human values.

"First, they snatched away women's human rights, now they are reviving slavery," he wrote..

It is worth noting that the Taliban's record on women's rights has already been very poor. Last year, the Taliban banned 140 books written by women. This order, issued at the end of August 2025, also prohibited the teaching of 18 subjects that Taliban officials said conflicted with Sharia law and their policies.

Now, the Taliban has attempted to legitimize the barbaric practice of slavery from the Middle Ages.