New Taliban laws ban women's voices and bare faces in public

New Taliban laws in Afghanistan would ban women’s voices and bare faces in public, according to a 114-page, 35-article document seen by The Associated Press (AP). 

The new laws were issued on Wednesday by the militant and political group and were approved by the supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

“Inshallah we assure you that this Islamic law will be of great help in the promotion of virtue and the elimination of vice,” ministry spokesman Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq said on Thursday, according to AP. 

The Taliban came back to power in the country following the U.S. withdrawal of its armed forces in 2021.

The laws encompass directions on celebrations, music, transportation and shaving. Article 13 directs women to cover their faces in public and to not wear short or tight clothing, according to AP. 

Article 13 also bans women from looking at men if they are not related by marriage or blood. They are not allowed to sing or read out loud.

The introduction of new laws follows a July U.N. report that accused the ministry of intimidation and violating human rights. The ministry rejected the claims made in the report.