Under the Taliban's new penal code, a husband who beats his wife and is proven guilty faces 15 days in prison, while mistreating a dog carries a five-month sentence.

Omissions

• The MEP did not cite any source for the claim, though multiple news outlets (NBC News, El País, LA Times) reported on this Taliban penal code in February-March 2026, before the session date of 2026-05-20.
• The claim specifies 'dog' as the animal, but sources vary: El País (2026-02-25) references mistreating a camel, while NBC News and LA Times refer to 'animal fights.' No source explicitly confirms a five-month sentence for mistreating a pet dog specifically.
• The claim presents a dramatic hypothetical scenario (beating with a stick until bones break, proving it before a judge), but the reporting indicates the penal code sets a general framework where domestic violence is effectively legalized within limits, and the 15-day sentence applies to physical injury such as breaking a bone — the specific scenario is plausible but simplified.
• All available sources are secondary (news reports), and no primary source (the actual Taliban decree text) was located to verify the exact wording of the penal code provisions.

Sources

• SecondaryNBC NewsAfghanistan's new penal code sets 15 days in prison for wife-beating, 5 months for animal fights.
• SecondaryEl País (English edition)The Taliban's new penal code: Two weeks in jail for breaking a woman's arm and five months for mistreating a camel.
• SecondaryLos Angeles TimesAfghanistan penal code sets 15 days in prison for wife-beating, 5 months for animal fights.