The Taliban in the northern province of Sar-e-Pul publicly flogged 23 people, including 9 women, inside a sports stadium on Tuesday, with senior local officials, including the group’s provincial governor in attendance.
In a statement, the Taliban police in the province said the men and women were punished for committing “prohibited acts, moral crimes, robbery, elopement, gambling and drinking alcohol.”
After recapturing Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban conducted its first public flogging in the eastern province of Logar in November 2022. Since then, the group has continued to carry out this punishment across the country, with public lashings being witnessed by local officials, elders, and residents, often in sports stadiums.
| Taliban publicly flog 16 people in Helmand
| Taliban publicly flog a woman and 5 men in Ghor province
| Taliban flog 9 men in front a packed crowd at a football stadium in Kandahar
The Taliban’s decision to reinstate public lashings has been met with widespread international condemnation, with many organizations describing it as a form of “corporal punishment”. The United Nations has been particularly vocal in denouncing this practice, describing it as a violation of fundamental human values.
In December 2022, the Taliban conducted its first public execution since returning to power, which took place in the western Farah province. Among the onlookers were some of the group’s senior leaders, including Amir Khan Muttaqi and Sirajudding Haqqani.
