KABUL: The Taliban government defended on Wednesday its ban on protests that has drawn condemnation from rights groups, saying the order complies with Islamic law.
Demonstrations in Afghanistan have been rare since the Taliban returned to power just over five years ago, but the government last month introduced a rule holding that “all types of protests are banned”.
International organisations have decried the law as “ruthless” and a move to suppress any dissent in the country.
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said during a news conference that the “law fully complies with Islamic law”, adding that “protests don’t exist in Islamic law”.
“Protests belong to societies where there are different laws established, for example a democracy or a republic,” Mujahid said.
Under the Islamic system, he said, people can approach the government with concerns rather than hold demonstrations
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