Taliban Publicly Flogs Two Individuals In Maidan Wardak Province
The Taliban’s Supreme Court announced that on Wednesday, its judicial authorities in Maidan Wardak province publicly flogged two individuals accused of theft.
The Taliban's court in Maidan Wardak sentenced each of the accused to 39 lashes and three years in prison.
Abdullah Furqani, the head of the local Taliban court, claimed that floggings have significantly reduced crime rates in the country.
Previously, on Wednesday, the Taliban’s Supreme Court had also announced that a man and a woman were flogged in Kabul for having sexual relations outside of marriage. The court stated that the woman received 32 lashes and the man received 39 lashes.
Over the past three years, international human rights organisations have consistently urged the Taliban to halt corporal punishments. However, the Taliban has said that it will continue to impose punishments according to Islamic "Sharia" law.
Human rights organisations have reported that principles of fair trial are not upheld in Taliban prisons and courts.
A human rights organisation called Rawadari stated in a research report that the Taliban courts exhibit discriminatory decisions, torture, coerced confessions, and lack of independence and impartiality, with the presumption of innocence being violated.
