Taliban Publicly Flog 16 People In Four Afghan Provinces
The Taliban’s Supreme Court said its primary courts have publicly flogged 16 people in the provinces of Parwan, Kabul, Kunar and Balkh, imposing corporal punishment alongside prison sentences.
In statements issued on Monday, the Taliban Supreme Court said those punished received between 10 and 39 lashes each and were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from one year to three years and one month.
According to the court, 12 people in Parwan province were flogged on charges related to buying and selling drugs. In Kabul, one woman was punished on charges of extramarital relations, while one man in Balkh province received the same punishment on similar charges. In Kunar province, two people were flogged after being convicted of sexual relations between men.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have reinstated public corporal punishment, including floggings and executions, under decrees attributed to their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Human rights organisations, the United Nations and several governments have repeatedly condemned the use of public corporal punishment in Afghanistan, describing it as a violation of international human rights standards.
The Taliban, however, defend the practice, saying the punishments are carried out in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic sharia law.
