Ismaili WHO Office Guard Tortured, Killed In Afghanistan, Say Sources

The individuals were arrested on Sunday evening in Anaba district after Taliban fighters reportedly grew suspicious of their gathering in one location.

Sources said the detainees were initially taken to a military unit before being transferred to a prison.

Taliban officials informed the detainees’ families that their relatives would be released following the completion of investigations.

Since retaking power in 2021, the Taliban have tightened security in Panjshir, long viewed as a centre of anti-Taliban resistance. The province was the base of the National Resistance Front, led by Ahmad Massoud, which opposed Taliban rule after the fall of the former government.

As part of its heightened security measures, the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior announced on Monday that surveillance cameras had been installed across several parts of Panjshir. The ministry said the move was intended to “ensure better security and public safety.”

Those punished faced charges of extramarital sexual relations, murder and theft. Some were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to 10 years, according to statements issued by the Taliban’s Supreme Court.

The floggings were carried out in the Forza district of Kabul, Ruyi Du Ab district of Samangan and the Tanai and Sabari districts of Khost province. The sentences were implemented in public and in the presence of Taliban officials.

In Kabul, two men convicted of engaging in sexual relations were each sentenced to 20 lashes and one year in prison, the court said.

In Samangan, a man and a woman were flogged on charges of “extramarital sexual relations.”

Seven individuals in Khost province were sentenced to between 35 and 39 lashes and prison terms ranging from three months to 10 years on charges including extramarital sex, murder and theft, the court said.

The Taliban did not release the names of those punished or provide details of the judicial process used in these cases.

Over the past week, Taliban courts in Kunar, Takhar, Kabul, Kunduz, Sar-e-Pul, Ghazni, Paktia and Laghman provinces have flogged more than 40 men and women on similar charges.

In the Qala-e-Zal district of Kunduz, two people including a woman were publicly flogged after being convicted of engaging in extramarital sexual relations. Meanwhile, in the capital, Kabul, three individuals were subjected to public floggings after being accused of selling alcoholic beverages and narcotics.

The Taliban’s Supreme Court stated that the individuals in Kunduz were also sentenced to three years in prison. The three individuals in Kabul received prison sentences ranging from one to two years. No further details were provided regarding the identities of the accused or the legal procedures involved in their convictions.

Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have resumed public punishments, including floggings and executions, under what they claim to be the enforcement of Islamic Sharia law.

These actions have drawn widespread condemnation from international human rights organisations, which have repeatedly criticised the group for violating due process and engaging in cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

Despite global outrage, the Taliban continue to implement harsh punishments, raising serious concerns about the state of human rights and judicial transparency in Afghanistan.

These fifteen advocacy groups expressed deep concern over Pakistan’s ongoing deportation plan, first announced on 3 October 2023, which targets undocumented Afghan nationals. The joint statement highlights the heightened risks faced by Afghan journalists, writers, artists, human rights defenders, and others who fled Taliban persecution and are now at risk of being forcibly returned.

Among the signatories are prominent international organisations such as PEN Germany, CPJ, Unlimited Free Press, Front Line Defenders, International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN), Nai – Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The organisations also called on the international community to provide safe resettlement opportunities for these individuals, recognising the dangers they face if returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s deportation policy has faced sharp criticism from local and international bodies, including the Pakistan Human Rights Commission, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). These entities have urged Pakistan to uphold its international obligations and provide protection to those fleeing conflict and persecution.

Despite repeated calls for restraint, the Pakistani government has accelerated forced returns in recent months. In April alone, more than 300,000 Afghans were deported, drawing further condemnation from human rights organisations.

The court issued separate statements detailing the punishments. In Sar-e Pol’s Sayyad district, five individuals were flogged for gambling. In Ghazni’s Muqur and Waghaz districts, two others faced lashes for theft and “illicit relationships.” All seven were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from two months to five years.

No details were provided about the identities of those punished or the legal proceedings involved. The Taliban have previously imposed punishments for minor interactions, such as phone contact between men and women.

The floggings were carried out in public, witnessed by local officials, court staff, and residents, according to the court.

In the past week, Taliban courts have publicly flogged at least 33 people across Afghanistan, including five women, as part of their enforcement of strict moral and criminal codes.