KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local Taliban authorities in Ghazni province, southeastern Afghanistan, have publicly flogged two individuals, accusing them of “moral corruption.”
The Taliban Supreme Court announced today that the flogging was carried out in Muqur district on Tuesday, October 1, after receiving approval from the regime’s local court and authorities.
According to the Taliban’s announcement, each individual received 39 lashes and a two-year prison sentence.
This is the latest instance of corporal punishment carried out by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Since their return to power, the regime has flogged hundreds of people, including women and members of the LGBT+ community, across the country.
The Taliban’s practice of public flogging has increased in recent months following its hardline supreme leader’s recent trips to provinces, where he instructed local authorities to enforce “hudud” or Islamic punishments.
In its recent report, the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented at least 179 cases of corporal punishment across Afghanistan in just three months, including the flogging of 28 women and 4 children.
The regime has also publicly executed at least five individuals convicted of murder across the country.
They have also criticized the Taliban’s legal system and practices, saying that the regime’s courts do not adhere to fair trial procedures and that accused individuals are denied the right to legal representation for their defense.
The Taliban, however, has so far ignored international criticism and calls to end corporal punishment. Recently, its leader has emphasized the continuation of these practices, asserting that he is enforcing Sharia law in Afghanistan.
