Copyright © 2014 International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) All rights reserved. !!!!!The$Afghan$Law$on$Gatherings,$Strikes$and$Demonstrations$ In light of Afghan Constitution 1964 (Official Gazette 12) Afghan President endorsed a new law, The Law on Gatherings, Strikes and Demonstrations on March 13, 2003 (Official Gazette 805). !

Copyright © 2014 International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) All rights reserved. The$Law$on$Gatherings,$Strikes$and$Demonstrations$Chapter(one((General(Provisions(!Article!1:!!This!law!is!enacted!in!the!light!of!the!article!32nd!of!Constitution!13431!Solar!Year!in!order!to!regulate!the!affairs!related!to!The$Gatherings,$Strikes$and$Demonstrations$in$the$country.$$Article!2:!!The!citizens!of!Afghanistan,!in!order!to!ensure!their!legal!and!peaceful!goals!which!don’t!contradict!the!national!solidarity!and!the!provisions!of!the!Constitution,!without!carrying!weapons!and!in!accordance!with!this!law,!have!th!rights!to!organize!gatherings,!strikes!and!demonstrations.!!Article!3:!!The!following!terms!used!throughout!this!law!shall!have!the!following!meanings:!!1E A!“gathering”!is!the!regular!and!public!assembly!of!more!than!30!persons!in!a!stop!mode!at!a!public!place!to!attract!public!opinion,!in!order!to!support!or!oppose!specific!goals!in!which!people!can!participate!voluntarily.!!!2E A!“strike”!is!to!refuse!performing!work!or!performing!legal!obligations!and!duties,!that!people!go!on!it!in!order!to!achieve!their!specific!goals.!!!!3E A!“demonstration”!is!a!regular!and!public!gathering!in!which!people!demonstrate!their!specific!goals!on!determined!routes!in!a!marching!status.!!!!4E A!“legal!and!peaceful!goal”!is!a!goal!which!is!allowed!by!law!to!be!achieved.!!!5E The!“organizers”!are!the!person!or!persons!who!guide,!manage!and!lead!the!gathering,!strike!and!demonstration.!!!6E A!“public!place”!is!the!roads,!squares,!parks!and!other!places!in!which!people!can!freely!commute.!!!7E A!“private!place”!is!a!property!commuting!to!which!is!suspended!to!the!permission!of!its!owner!or!proprietor.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1$1964$

Copyright © 2014 International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) All rights reserved. Article!4:!Participation!in!gatherings,!demonstrations!and!strikes!shall!be!volunteer;!in!order!to!ensure!their!individual!and!group!goals!nobody!shall!force!people!to!participate!in!gathering,!demonstration!and!strikes.!!Article!5:!!The!peaceful!gatherings,!strikes!and!demonstrations!are!allowed!in!public!places!which!are!not!prohibited!by!this!law!but!in!private!places,!they!are!suspended!to!the!written!permission!of!their!owners!and!proprietors.!!(Chapter(Two(The(obligations(!Article!6:!!The!government!shall!ensure!the!security!and!safety!of!gatherings,!strikes!and!demonstrators.!!Article!7:!In!case!the!gatherings,!strikes!or!demonstrations!are!organized!through!organizations,!associations!and!individuals,!the!organizers!and!participants!shall!have!the!following!obligations:!!1E Inform!the!local!police!in!writing!twenty!four!hours!prior!to!organize!the!event.!!2E Include!the!purpose,!time,!location!and!route!in!the!notice.!!3E Observe!the!provisions!of!Constitution,!the!other!laws!and!the!provisions!of!The!Universal!Declaration!of!Human!Rights.!!4E Respect!to!Islam!Sacred!Religion!and!religious,!national,!historical,!cultural!traditions!of!the!country.!!5E Avoid!insulting,!threatening!and!fearing!individuals!and!committing!any!movements!against!customs,!security!and!public!order.!!6E Avoid!violence,!destruction!and!armed!conflict.!!Article!8:!!The!gathering,!strike!and!demonstration!shall!not!be!organized!in!the!following!places!and!during!the!following!times:!!1E In!the!vicinity!of!military!compounds.!!

Copyright © 2014 International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) All rights reserved. 2E In!the!vicinity!of!stocks!of!explosive,!detonable!and!fiery!items.!!3E In!the!vicinity!of!hospitals,!inside!kindergartens,!nurseries!and!likewise.!!4E After!sunset!until!sunrise.!The!strike!is!exempted!from!this!provision.!!!5E 48!hours!prior!to!the!presidential!and!parliamentarian!elections,!Great!Assembly2!and!referendum.!!Article!9:!!In!the!event!of!one!of!the!cases!stipulated!in!articles!(seven!and!eight)!of!this!law;!in!order!to!disperse!the!gatherings,!strikes!and!demonstrations!the!police!will!take!one!of!the!following!actions:!!!1E Issuance!of!warning!through!possible!means!for!dispersion.!2E Surrounding!of!gatherers!and!demonstrators!and!pushing!them!to!a!safe!place.!!3E Dispersion!through!splashing!water.!!4E To!terminate!and!disperse!the!demonstration!through!technical!obstacles.!!Article!10:!!In!case!the!use!of!technical!obstacles!and!other!police!aids!don’t!help!in!terminating!and!dispersing!the!gatherings!and!demonstrations,!police!shall!take!action!in!accordance!with!article!22!of!enforced!police!law.!!!!!!Article!11:!!In!observance!of!article!22!of!enforced!police!law,!the!security!forces!shall!possibly!avoid!encountering!the!gatherings,!strikes!and!demonstrators!and!their!representatives.!!Article!12:!!Carrying!banners,!slogans!and!pictures!shall!be!allowed!in!gatherings!and!demonstrations!providing!that!they!are!not!against!the!customs,!security!and!public!order.!!Article!13:!!The!participants!of!gatherings,!demonstrations,!strikes!and!the!individuals!who!lead!them!shall!not!broadcast!baseless!propagandas!that!create!horror!among!people.!!Article!14:!!(1) If! it! is! identified! that! the! place! of!gatherings,! strikes! and! demonstrators! is! not! safe! due! to!security! reasons;! has! to! be! evacuated,! the! demonstrators! and! their! leaders! will! immediately!evacuate!the!place!once!police!order.!!(2) The! abovementioned! people! shall! be! prosecuted! if! they!reject!evacuating!the!place!after!(police)!prior!and!successive!warnings.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2$Loya$Jirga$$

Copyright © 2014 International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) All rights reserved. (3) The!evacuation!of!place!shall!not!prevent!continuing!demonstrating!in!another!place.!!Article!15:!!Organizing!demonstrations!and!gatherings!in!order!to!ensure!the!political,!economic!and!social!goals!of!foreign! countries! and! their! citizens!is! not! allowed!if! they! contradict! the! national! interest! and!national!unity!of!Afghanistan.!!Article!16:!!The!citizens!of!foreign!countries!shall!not!participate!in!demonstrations.!!Article!17:!!The! security! forces! shall! not! enter! into! the! gatherings,! strikes! and!ranks! of! demonstrators! by! force! in!order!to!disorder!them!and!pave!the!ground!for!violence!and!conflict.!!Article!18:!!Using!possible! means! of! police! shall! never! be!hostile! and! retaliatory! which! results! in! exacerbating! the!situations!and!promoting!the!political!and!social!concerns.!!!!Article!19:!!Police!can!announce!termination!of!gatherings,!strikes!and!demonstrations!in!following!cases:!!1E In!case!of!carrying!out!violence!and!violent!acts.!2E In!case!of!attempting!to!carry!out!destructive!and!terrorizing!acts.!!3E In!case!of!discovering!explosive!weapons.!!4E In!case!of!threatening!people!to!participate!in!gatherings,!strikes!and!demonstrations.!!Article!20:!!Any!action,!taken!during!gatherings,!demonstrations!and!strikes!resulting!in!a!loss!to!public!properties!or!the!private!properties!of!the!citizens,!is!a!crime.!The!one!who!commits!will!be!prosecuted!in!addition!to!compensation!for!the!perpetrator.!!Article!21:!Nobody!shall!organize!gatherings,!demonstrations!and!strikes!during!state!of!emergency.!!Article!22:!!Carrying! any! weapons! during! gatherings,! strikes! and! demonstrations! is! prohibited.! Its!carrier!shall!be!arrested!and!prosecuted.!!Article!23:!!

Copyright © 2014 International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) All rights reserved. Whenever! the! gatherings,! strikes! and! demonstrations! result! in!overall! turbulence,! the! security!departments,! after! summoning! the! authorities,! will!legally! take! immediate! actions!for!disposal!and!exclusion!of!abovementioned!situation.!!Article!24:!!If!the!individuals!who!lead!the!gatherings,!demonstrations!and!strikes!order!the!demonstrators!to!carry!out! violent! acts! and! the! demonstrators! carry! out! the!aforementioned! acts,! they! will! be! prosecuted!according!to!the!enforced!laws.!!!Article!25:!!(1) The! participants! of! gatherings,! strikes! and! demonstrations! can! issue!their!corporate! and! legal!demands,!reflected!in!their!resolution,!to!the!relevant!authorities.!!(2) The!ministries,!administrations!and!relevant!organizations!shall!review!the!resolution!mentioned!in!paragraph!(1)!of!this!article!and!shall!take!action!to!achieve!their!lawful!demands.!!!Chapter(Three((Final(Provisions!!!Article!26:!!The!personnel!of!armed!forces!(Ministry!of!Defense,!Ministry!of!Interior!Affairs!and!General!Department!of!National!Security)!shall!not!have!the!right!to!participate!in!gatherings,!strikes!and!demonstrations.!!Article!27:!!!When!the!corporate!and!group!demands,!based!on!which!the!gatherings,!strikes!and!demonstrations!have!taken!place,!are!achieved!through!negotiation!and!communication!with!authorities,!the!extension!of!them!shall!not!be!allowed!!Article!28:!!Whenever!the!authorities!require!negotiating!with!the!representatives!of!the!gatherings,!strikes!and!demonstrations!in!order!to!find!solution,!the!representatives!shall!have!full!immunity!in!observance!of!the!provision!of!article!six!of!this!law.!!Article!29:!!This!law!shall!be!enforced!after!the!date!of!endorsement!and!be!published!in!official!gazette.!!!

Copyright © 2014 International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) All rights reserved. !