The Taliban has publicly flogged eight individuals in Kabul and Kapisa provinces following court rulings related to drug trafficking and political dissent, according to a statement released by the group’s Supreme Court on Sunday.
In Kabul, seven people were sentenced to between 10 and 30 lashes and received additional prison terms ranging from one to five years for alleged involvement in narcotics trafficking.
Separately, in Kapisa province, one individual was sentenced to one year and six months in prison and 39 lashes on charges of “propaganda against the regime.”
Azizur Rahman Haqqani, head of the Taliban’s appellate court in Kapisa, defended the corporal punishment, stating that “discretionary punishments in Islamic Sharia are carried out not only to reform the offender but also to serve as a lesson for others.”
The public floggings come despite repeated calls from international human rights organisations urging the Taliban to end the use of corporal punishment. The group, however, maintains that such actions are part of its strict interpretation and enforcement of Islamic Sharia law.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has reintroduced public punishments, including floggings and executions, drawing widespread international condemnation. Rights groups have warned that these practices violate international human rights standards and amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
