Duress - national proceedings

Afghanistan

Afghanistan - Criminal Code 1976 (2017) EN

Section 3 Perpetrator

Chapter 1 Penal Responsibility and its Obstacles

Part 2 Obstacles to Penal Responsibility

Article 66

Conditions Preventing Penal Responsibility

Obstacles to Penal Responsibility come into existence from the realization of any sensual indisposition or one of the instances of lack of will.

Section 3 Perpetrator

Chapter 1 Penal Responsibility and its Obstacles

Part 2 Obstacles to Penal Responsibility

Second Topic - Lack of Will

Subtopic 1 - Reluctance

Article 94

Criminal Act Committed Under Influence of Irresistible Force

A person who commits a crime under the influence of a moral or material force, repulsion of which is not possible otherwise, shall not be considered responsible.

Rome Statute

Article 31 Grounds for excluding criminal responsibility

1. In addition to other grounds for excluding criminal responsibility provided for in this Statute, a person shall not be criminally responsible if, at the time of that person's conduct:

(d) The conduct which is alleged to constitute a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court has been caused by duress resulting from a threat of imminent death or of continuing or imminent serious bodily harm against that person or another person, and the person acts necessarily and reasonably to avoid this threat, provided that the person does not intend to cause a greater harm than the one sought to be avoided. Such a threat may either be:

(i) Made by other persons; or

(ii) Constituted by other circumstances beyond that person's control.