KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced the public flogging of eight individuals, including one woman, in Kunar province. According to the court’s statement, these individuals were accused of “sodomy,” theft, and fleeing from home.
The Taliban courts handed down sentences ranging from 15 days to three years in prison, in addition to lashes numbering from 10 to 39. This punishment was reportedly carried out in public just two days ago.
These incidents reflect the Taliban’s increasing reliance on corporal punishment since their return to power in August 2021. Public lashings have become a common aspect of their penal system, affecting hundreds, including women and members of the LGBTQ+ community, mainly carried out in sports stadiums before large crowds.
The use of public flogging has intensified in recent months, particularly following a directive from the Taliban’s hardline supreme leader urging local authorities to enforce strict Islamic punishments (hudud).
A recent UN report indicates that between April and June of this year, the Taliban publicly flogged at least 179 individuals, including 28 women and 4 children, for various offenses throughout Afghanistan.
In addition to flogging, the Taliban has resumed public executions, with at least five individuals reportedly executed in public over the past year for various charges.
Human rights organizations and the United Nations have condemned the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment as cruel, inhumane, and a violation of international law, calling for an end to these practices.
Despite this international criticism, the Taliban remains resolute, asserting that they are enforcing Sharia law. Recently, their leader reiterated the commitment to these punitive measures, framing them as a fulfillment of Islamic principles in Afghanistan.
