Taliban government in Afghanistan has officially enacted a stringent set of morality laws, requiring women to fully cover their faces and mandating men to grow beards. These regulations, rooted in a 2022 decree by the Taliban's Supreme Spiritual Leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, have now been formally codified and published as law by the Justice Ministry. Enforcement will be carried out by the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue.

These new laws extend beyond dress codes, prohibiting the playing of music in cars and barring women from traveling without a male guardian. Media outlets are also required to comply with sharia law, including a ban on publishing images of living beings. Penalties for violations range from warnings and brief detentions to property confiscation, with persistent offenders facing court action.

This move has sparked significant criticism from rights groups and the international community, who view it as a severe erosion of women's rights and personal freedoms in Afghanistan. Heather Barr from Human Rights Watch highlighted the formalization of these rules as part of a broader crackdown on personal liberties since the Taliban regained control in 2021.

Over the past year, the Taliban's morality ministry has reportedly detained more than 13,000 people for various alleged offenses. The exact details of these offenses remain unclear, but the new codification is seen as a continuation of the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law, with profound implications for the daily lives of Afghan citizens.