KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban authorities have publicly flogged three individuals, including two women, in northern Takhar and eastern Nangarhar provinces for alleged “adultery” and “running away from home.”
The Taliban Supreme Court, in a statement, announced that a man and a woman were publicly flogged today, November 4, in the Farkhar district of Takhar province on charges of “adultery.”
In a separate statement, the court announced that a woman was publicly flogged yesterday, November 3, in the Kuz Kunar district of Nangarhar province on charges of “running away from home.”
According to Taliban statements, each of these individuals received 39 lashes in front of the public and local Taliban authorities.
These incidents are part of a recent rise in public corporal punishment across Afghanistan. In recent months, the Taliban have flogged hundreds, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals, on charges the regime labels as “moral corruption.”
The UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) recently reported 111 instances of corporal punishment during a three-month period from July to September, which included the flogging of 15 women and one girl. Additionally, public executions have been documented, with at least five individuals convicted of murder executed in recent years
The UN, rights groups and activists have condemned these actions, asserting that such punishments violate international law and compromise human dignity. Critics have also pointed out the absence of a fair legal process, emphasizing that those accused often lack access to legal representation.
Despite mounting international criticism, the Taliban have remained unmoved, insisting on the full implementation of Sharia law across Afghanistan.
