KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s Supreme Court confirmed the public flogging of six individuals, including two women, in Kabul’s Deh Sabz district on October 16.
According to the court’s statement, the individuals were accused of “illicit relations” and “sodomy.” Four of the accused received one-year prison sentences and 39 lashes each, while the remaining two were sentenced to three months in prison and 39 lashes.
This incident is part of a recent wave of public corporal punishment by the Taliban, who have escalated these practices across several provinces.
The rise in public floggings comes after directives from the Taliban’s supreme leader, urging local officials to enforce “hudud,” a set of punishments based on Islamic law. Since reclaiming power, the regime has intensified its crackdown, targeting hundreds of individuals, including women and LGBTQ+ people.
According to a report by the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 179 instances of corporal punishment, including the flogging of 28 women and four children, were recorded in a recent three-month period. The Taliban have also staged public executions, with at least five individuals convicted of murder being executed before large crowds.
Human rights organizations have condemned these acts, stating that such punishments violate international law and undermine human dignity. Critics have also highlighted the lack of a fair legal process, noting that those accused often have no access to legal defense.
Despite mounting international criticism, the Taliban have remained unmoved, insisting on the full implementation of Sharia law across Afghanistan.
