Taliban Continue Public Punishments With Flogging In Balkh
The Taliban’s Supreme Court said two people were publicly flogged in northern Balkh province, continuing the group’s use of corporal punishment under its rule.
In a statement issued on Saturday, January 10, the court said the two individuals were convicted of smuggling alcoholic beverages and each received 39 lashes. The punishment was carried out in public in the presence of Taliban officials, clerics and local residents.
Despite repeated objections from international organisations to the use of corporal punishment and the torture of detainees, the Taliban have continued to conduct public floggings. Taliban authorities defend the practice as the implementation of their interpretation of “Islamic sharia”.
According to Taliban statements, six people were executed and 1,118 others flogged across Afghanistan in 2025 alone. Over the past four years, the group has also carried out at least 12 public executions, often in front of large crowds.
Human rights organisations say the Taliban lacks a standardised judicial system and that defendants are routinely denied basic fair trial guarantees, including access to legal representation and due process.
