| Political Rights | 1 / 40 |
| Civil Liberties | 5 / 60 |
Afghanistan is controlled by an armed Islamist movement, the Taliban, which has operated the Afghan state as an emirate since overthrowing an elected republican administration in August 2021. In the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban leader exercises unlimited political authority and rules by decree in the absence of a constitution. The Taliban’s administration is not internationally recognized. Some laws inherited from the republican period are applied, selectively. The Taliban has suspended all political and civic rights, abolished representative bodies, and prohibit any criticism of the regime. Women and religious and ethnic minority groups have faced the most severe curbs on freedoms, while journalists are restricted by harsh edicts and the threat of violence. Meanwhile, the population is facing economic and humanitarian crises.
- In August, the Taliban’s head, or amir, published a decree on public morality that expanded restrictions on women’s appearance and movement; further limited freedom of expression, including through restrictions on music and news media; and banned Persian-origin festivals. In December, the Ministry of Health issued instructions banning women from participating in midwifery, nursing, and other health-related education. The same month Taliban authorities banned women from working for nongovernmental organizations, including those providing humanitarian aid.
- Public executions were conducted on sports grounds in Shiberghan, Jawzjan Province, in February; and in Gardez, Paktya Province, in November.
- Under an urban infrastructure development program, Taliban authorities in Kabul conducted mass demolitions of properties predominantly owned by ethnic Hazaras and Tajiks.
- There were multiple incidents of cross-border shelling and bombardment between Pakistani military and Taliban forces. Pakistani officials repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of supporting cross-border incursions into Pakistan by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or the Pakistani Taliban, which now operates from bases in Afghanistan.
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For additional background information, see last year’s full report.
| Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? | 0 / 4 |
| Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? | 0 / 4 |
| Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? | 0 / 4 |
| Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? | 0 / 4 |
| Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? | 0 / 4 |
| Are the people’s political choices free from domination by forces that are external to the political sphere, or by political forces that employ extrapolitical means? | 0 / 4 |
| Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, racial, religious, gender, LGBT+, and other relevant groups) have full political rights and electoral opportunities? | 0 / 4 |
| Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government? | 0 / 4 |
| Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? | 1 / 4 |
| Does the government operate with openness and transparency? | 0 / 4 |
| Are there free and independent media? | 0 / 4 |
| Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private? | 0 / 4 |
| Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free from extensive political indoctrination? | 0 / 4 |
| Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution? | 0 / 4 |
| Is there freedom of assembly? | 1 / 4 |
| Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights– and governance-related work? | 1 / 4 |
| Is there freedom for trade unions and similar professional or labor organizations? | 1 / 4 |
| Is there an independent judiciary? | 0 / 4 |
| Does due process prevail in civil and criminal matters? | 0 / 4 |
| Is there protection from the illegitimate use of physical force and freedom from war and insurgencies? | 0 / 4 |
| Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population? | 0 / 4 |
| Do individuals enjoy freedom of movement, including the ability to change their place of residence, employment, or education? | 0 / 4 |
| Are individuals able to exercise the right to own property and establish private businesses without undue interference from state or nonstate actors? | 1 / 4 |
| Do individuals enjoy personal social freedoms, including choice of marriage partner and size of family, protection from domestic violence, and control over appearance? | 0 / 4 |
| Do individuals enjoy equality of opportunity and freedom from economic exploitation? | 1 / 4 |
