KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that three men and a woman were publicly flogged in eastern Paktika and northern Baghlan provinces on Monday.
The Taliban court, in a statement, said three men were flogged on charges of “sodomy” in Sar Rawza district of Paktika province. They were sentenced to 15 years in prison and 30 lashes.
In a separate statement today, the court announced that a woman was flogged on charges of Qawadi (pimping) in Baghlan province on Monday, in the presence of senior Taliban officials and the public.
These are the latest instances of corporal punishment carried out by the Taliban. In recent months, the regime has publicly flogged hundreds of people, including women, on charges the Taliban deem as “moral corruption.”
In just the past five days, Taliban authorities have publicly flogged at least 44 people, including nine women, across various provinces of Afghanistan.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) recently reported 111 cases of corporal punishment from July to September, including the flogging of 15 women and one girl. In addition, the Taliban has carried out several public executions, with at least five individuals convicted of murder put to death in the past two years.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, public executions have also resumed in Afghanistan, with at least six individuals convicted of murder executed publicly over the past two years.
The latest public execution took place last week in eastern Paktia province, where a man accused of murder was executed in a sports stadium in the presence of Taliban authorities and local residents.
The Taliban’s use of corporal punishment and public executions has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community. Human rights organizations and the UN have called for an immediate end to these practices, citing violations of human rights and international law.
Taliban leaders continue to defend their criminal justice system, claiming it aligns with their interpretation of Islamic law. They reject international criticism, labeling it as interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
