Afghanistan
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- theocracy
- CONSTITUTION
- new, signed on January 16, 2004 (based on the one from 1964); suspended by the Taliban in 2021
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- the Taliban are applying their interpretation of Islamic law, which is partly based on the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- the Taliban government has not announced the formation of a legislative body
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Supreme Court and many provincial courts, religious courts and specialized courts
RELIGIONS
Muslim 99.7% (Sunnis 84.7 - 89.7%, Shia 10 - 15%), other <0.3% (2009 est.)
From the country
- DECEMBER 20, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. SIX MEN HANGED FOR MURDER
an Afghan identified only by his first name as Vahid, 22, was hanged in Evin prison in Tehran, Iran, along with five other men convicted of murder. The report identified the men only as Hassangholi, Yadollah, Hossein, Mohammad-Hadi and Kheirollah.
- DECEMBER 18, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. THREE AFGHANS PUBLICLY HANGED FOR RAPE
Iran publicly hanged three Afghan men convicted of rape. Gholam Hazrat, Shah Mir and Nour Ahmad were executed in the town of Rafsanjan, southern Kerman province.
- OCTOBER 29, 2006Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. MEN BEHEADED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Saudi Arabia beheaded two foreign nationals on charges they smuggled heroin and cocaine into the country, the Interior Ministry said.
- SEPTEMBER 19, 2006Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. AFGHANI BEHEADED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
- SEPTEMBER 2, 2006AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN. MAN PUBLICLY EXECUTED IN HELMAND
the Taliban publicly executed a man for his alleged involvement in a murder case in the Garmsir district of southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
- JUNE 8, 2006AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN. UN RIGHTS EXPERT DEPLORES REPORTED PUBLIC EXECUTION BY TALIBAN
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy, condemned “in very strong terms” the reported public execution by Afghanistan’s ousted Taliban regime of an alleged murderer in Daikundi province.
- APRIL 20, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. AFGHAN PRISONER HANGED IN CENTRAL IRAN
an Afghan man was hanged in central Iran in the early hours of the day, Iran’s official news agency reported.
- APRIL 12, 2006AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN. THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN KANDAHAR FOR ABDUCTION AND MURDER
a court in Afghanistan awarded capital punishment to three people convicted of abducting and later killing a child in the southern province of Kandahar. Abdul Shakoor, 20, hailing from Farha, Baryalai Almas, 19, from Parwan and Musa Khan, 19, from Kunar w
- APRIL 5, 2006AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN. ISLAMIC LEGAL EXPERT DEFENDS DEATH PENALTY FOR APOSTASY
Sher Ali Zarifi, head of religious jurisprudence in Afghanistan’s Science Academy of leading intellectuals, defended the death penalty for Muslims who converted to other religions, as debate continued over the case of a Christian convert who fled to Italy
- MARCH 30, 2006AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
LEBANON. DEATH PENALTY DROPPED AGAINST PLO HEAD
a Lebanese military court dropped a death penalty against the head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation in the country.
- MARCH 29, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN. CHRISTIAN CONVERT GRANTED ASYLUM IN ITALY
Abdur Rahman, an Afghan Christian convert who had faced the death penalty for abandoning Islam, arrived in Italy and was granted asylum.
- MARCH 28, 2006AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN. CHRISTIAN CONVERT FACING DEATH TO BE RELEASED, US SAYS
Afghanistan will free Abdur Rahman, a man who faced the death penalty for converting to Christianity, following Western pressure for his release, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. Rahman, 40, was jailed this month for rejecting Islam and