Taliban Publicly Flog Pair In Northern Afghanistan
The Taliban’s Supreme Court said a man and a woman were publicly flogged in the Sayed Khel district of Parwan province on charges of an extramarital relationship.
The Taliban’s Supreme Court said a man and a woman were publicly flogged in the Sayed Khel district of Parwan province on charges of an extramarital relationship.
In a statement issued on Monday, the court said each was sentenced to 30 lashes and one year in prison. The punishment was carried out after approval by the the Supreme Court and in the presence of local officials and members of the public.
The flogging marks the second public application of corporal punishment by the Taliban in less than 24 hours. On Sunday, December 28, a man and a woman were flogged in Takhar province on charges described as “running away from home and illicit relations” and were also sentenced to one year in prison.
According to figures compiled by Afghanistan International, the Taliban have flogged more than 100 people nationwide over the past two weeks, including at least 15 women.
A recent United Nations report said that between August 1 and October 31, the Taliban flogged at least 215 people across several provinces, including 44 women and 171 men.
Despite repeated objections from international organisations to corporal punishment and the torture of suspects, the Taliban have continued to carry out public floggings. Human rights groups say the Taliban’s judicial system lacks due process and that defendants are denied fair trial guarantees, including access to legal counsel.
