Annex 3: Lists of decrees and instructions

This is a list of national decrees and instructions issued by the Taliban, based on research for this report, and previous reporting by the EUAA. The list aims to provide an overview of national restrictions relevant for this report but is not exhaustive.

Media and freedom of expression

• Prohibition of indecency and profanity in the media, communications and letters (6 May 2017);1

• prohibition of unauthorised assemblies (8 September 2021);

• media should not address topics in conflict with Islam or ‘insulting national personalities’, reports should be produced in coordination with the Taliban government’s media office (23 September 2021);2

• women news presenters “must” wear headscarves when appearing on screen, and men “must” wear proper clothes (22 November 2021);3

• prohibition of foreign drama series (March 2022);4

• a ban of defamation and unproven criticism of [de facto] government officials (21 July 2022);5

• media professionals are not to publish reports that ‘contradict Islamic law and religion’, ‘deride or humiliate Muslims’ or ‘contain pictures of animate object’ (31 July 2024);6

• the ‘wrongful use of tape recorders or radio; making pictures or videos of any animate object on computers or mobile phones, or any other such device’ is a ‘wrongful act’ (31 July 2024).7

• a law on ‘Poetry Regulation’ (30 August 2025),8 reportedly restricted poetry gatherings,9 romantic poetry addressing relationships between men and women, and poetry criticising the Taliban Supreme Leader. Poets were urged to avoid references to ideological schools including feminism, democracy, communism, and nationalism.10

• new guidelines for political analysts participating in political debates (July 2025).11 They were urged to speak ‘in accordance with sharia’12 and obtain an identity card from the de facto Ministry of Information and Culture before appearing in media.13

Women and girls

• Gender segregation at private universities (September 2021). Classes should be divided at least by a curtain, women should be taught by female teachers, or in the lack thereof, elderly men with ‘good character’;14

• secondary education for girls was not reopened (September 2021);

• decree on women’s rights (3 December 2021). Women should not be considered property or being forced into marriage, widows should have a share in their husbands property;15

• women barred from appearing in television dramas, soap operas and entertainment shows (November 2021);

• women news presenters ‘must’ wear headscarves when appearing on screen (November 2021);

• women travelling more than 72 km should not be offered transport unless accompanied by a close male relative (26 December 2021);

• drivers should not pick up female passengers without a hijab covering their hair (26 December 2021);

• the de facto Health Ministry should gender-segregate employees by separating male and female offices (16 March 2022);

• secondary education for girls is to remain closed (23 March 2022);

• airlines should not let women board without a male chaperone (27 March 2022);

• female teachers were recommended to wear hijab (15 April 2022);

• women should cover their faces (7 May 2022). Failure to comply may result in the woman’s father or closest male relative facing reprimands, imprisonment or being fired from his employment. Women should not leave their homes unless ‘necessary’;

• all female television presenters ordered to cover their faces while presenting (19 May 2022);16

• women are not allowed to visit recreational parks,17 public baths18 and gyms;19

• university education for women was suspended (December 2022);20

• national and international NGOs were instructed to suspend female staff members, or risk losing their licences (24 December 2022);21

• women were prohibited to work for UN organs (5 April 2023);22

• beauty salons were ordered to close within one month (24 June 2023);23

• women should cover their entire body and cover their faces to prevent ftina [‘social disorder or chaos, which can itself facilitate sin]’ (31 July 2024);

• women’s clothes ‘should not be thin short or tight’ (31 July 2024);

• it is the responsibility of women to ‘hide their body and their face from men who are not their mahram’ (31 July 2024);

• Muslim and righteous women are obliged to ‘cover themselves in front of non-believing or loose women’ to prevent fitnah (31 July 2024);

• ‘women not covering themselves properly’, is a ‘wrongful act’ (31 July 2024);

• ‘women are not allowed to look at strange men’ (31 July 2024);

• an adult woman leaving her home ‘because of some urgent need’ is ‘duty-bound to hide her voice, face and body’ (31 July 2024);24

• the de facto MPVPV shall ensure that staff and drivers of commercial vehicles do not transport uncovered or unaccompanied women, or ‘allow women to sit or mingle with an unrelated man’ (31 July 2024).25

• women were prohibited to attend medical education (2 December 2024).26

• new constructions are prohibited to include windows overlooking neighbours’ private areas where women are often visible, such as courtyards, kitchens and wells (December 2024).27

Men

• Men are forbidden from looking at an unrelated woman’s body or face (31 July 2024);

• men should cover their bodies from the waist down to the knees, knees included(31 July 2024);

• when ‘pursuing pastimes and exercise, men are obliged to wear clothes that conceal the required parts of the body, and that are not very tight or make certain parts of the body apparent (31 July 2024).

Prayers and religious conduct

• Prayers in congregation in the mosque shall be observed by ‘traders, artisans and farmers, when conducting their affairs and carrying out their functions’, at set times (31 July 2024);28

• the de facto MPVPV shall ensure that staff and tourists at sightseeing and recreation spots observe congregational prayer (31 July 2024);29

• ‘not praying’, delaying one’s prayers, ‘omitting mandatory and obligatory prayers’, and ‘not praying in congregation’, are ‘wrongful acts’ (31 July 2024);

• neglecting obligatory fasts, is a ‘wrongful act’ (31 July 2024);

• observing holidays that have ‘no Islamic foundation’, including Nawruz, Shab-e Yalda, fireworks night and other festivals, are ‘wrongful acts’ (31 July 2024);

• befriending non-Muslims and assisting them, imitating them in one’s appearance or character, are ‘wrongful acts’ (31 July 2024);7

• wearing and popularising crucifixes, neckties and other such un-Islamic symbols’, are ‘wrongful acts’ (31 July 2024).30

Other

• Leadership approval needed for hudud and qisas punishments (6 May 2017);1

• male students and teachers were called upon not to wear ties (15 April 2022);

• body building athletes should cover ‘abdominal muscles and limbs with loose-fitting garments’ (17 June 2022);31

• people were called on to avoid celebrating Valentine’s Day (14 February 2023);32

• celebrations of Nowruz were condemned by some members of the de facto authorities (March 2023);33

• a ban of poppy cultivation (5 April 2022);34

• restricted access to the social media platform TikTok and the online game PlayerUnknown’s Battleground, closure of channels with ‘immoral programs’ (21 April 2022);35

• sorcery is prohibited (7 August 2023);36

• ‘wrongful acts’ include (31 July 2024):

  • adultery (‘whether forced of consensual’);

  • temporary marriage;

  • fornication;

  • lesbianism;

  • anal sex, (‘even if it is with one’s own wife’);

  • paedophilia;

  • creating ‘a platform or circumstances conducive to adultery, fornication, lesbianism, anal sex, paedophilia or gambling’.7

• an instruction to all universities and private education institutions are to remove books considered against Hanafi jurisprudence from their libraries (14 December 2023).37

• a law to prevent begging, which prohibits ‘healthy’ people that are able to secure one meal a day from begging, as well as the use of children and disabled people for begging (18 May 2024);38

• playing chess was banned (11 May 2025).39

• universities were instructed to remove 680 books ‘conflicting with sharia’ from the curriculum (September 2025). This included many books authored by women.40 The committee behind the decision confirmed to BBC News that no books authored by women were allowed to be taught.41

• universities were instructed to stop teaching 18 subjects ‘conflicting with sharia’ (September 2025), including on gender, women,41 democracy and human rights.42