KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban publicly flogged a man and a woman for “adultery” in Parwan province, eastern Afghanistan, amid a rise in corporal punishment across the country.
The Taliban Supreme Court announced that these individuals were flogged in Bagram district on Tuesday, November 5, each receiving 39 lashes in the presence of local residents and authorities. Additionally, the Taliban primary court sentenced them to three years in prison.
This incident is part of a recent surge in public corporal punishment across Afghanistan. In recent weeks, the Taliban have flogged hundreds, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals, on charges the regime labels as “moral corruption.”
Over the past two days, Taliban authorities have flogged at least 29 people, including 6 women, across several provinces of Afghanistan.
The UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) recently documented 111 cases of corporal punishment from July to September, including the flogging of 15 women and one girl. Additionally, the extremist group has carried out public executions, with at least five individuals convicted of murder publicly executed in the past two 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.
The Taliban, despite mounting international criticism, have remained resolute, insisting on the full implementation of Sharia law across Afghanistan.
