"It is a depressing picture of Afghanistan's future, where the morality police have the authority to threaten and arrest anyone," says the UN's special envoy in Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva.
On Wednesday, the authorities in the Taliban-controlled country presented a new law consisting of 35 paragraphs with even stricter control over women's clothing and living habits. They must, among other things, cover their face and body when leaving the house, and are not even allowed to speak loudly.
"Even a woman's voice outside the home is apparently considered a moral offense," says Otunbayeva.
"Afghans deserve better than to be threatened with imprisonment if they happen to arrive late for prayer, or if they happen to look at someone of the opposite sex who is not a family member," she continues.
The Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021 after the US forces in the country withdrew. Since then, the Taliban have, among other things, forbidden girls from attending school after sixth grade.
