The Taliban on Thursday publicly flogged eight individuals, including one woman, in the provinces of Ghazni and Parwan on charges of extramarital sex and same-sex relations between men.
According to the Taliban, primary courts sentenced the accused to prison terms ranging from three months to three years, in addition to corporal punishment.
United Nations data indicates that at least 213 people have been flogged by the Taliban in the past three months alone. Among them are 169 men and 44 women.
UN experts have repeatedly raised alarm over the Taliban's use of corporal punishment, including flogging and torture, calling it a violation of international human rights norms. They have urged the Taliban to immediately cease all forms of inhumane and degrading treatment.
The Taliban, however, has rejected international criticism, insisting that public floggings constitute the enforcement of Islamic Sharia law. The group has called on international organisations to refrain from interfering in what it describes as internal religious matters.
Public floggings and other forms of corporal punishment have become increasingly common since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, drawing widespread condemnation from human rights groups and global institutions.
