Taliban Publicly Flog 16 People In Kabul & Balkh
The Taliban said Wednesday it publicly flogged 16 people, including one woman, in Kabul and Balkh provinces on charges ranging from drug trafficking to so-called illicit relations.
The Taliban said Wednesday it publicly flogged 16 people, including one woman, in Kabul and Balkh provinces on charges ranging from drug trafficking to so-called illicit relations.
The group’s Supreme Court said 14 men in Kabul were convicted by a primary court of selling or smuggling narcotic tablets. Each received between 20 and 39 lashes and prison terms ranging from 10 months to three and a half years.
In a separate case in Balkh, a man and a woman were flogged for alleged illicit relations. The court said the punishment was carried out in front of local officials, court staff, soldiers and civilians, but did not provide details of the accusations. The Taliban deems any contact between unrelated men and women unlawful and has previously punished people even for phone conversations.
On Tuesday, the group flogged another man and woman in Laghman province for “moral corruption and fleeing home.” Over the past week, at least 31 people, including six women, have been flogged in public across Afghanistan, according to Taliban statements.
International organisations have repeatedly urged the Taliban to end corporal punishment and torture, but the group defends public flogging as an enforcement of Islamic law. The Supreme Court has not provided details on whether those punished had access to fair trials or legal representation.