KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s Supreme Court has confirmed the public flogging of seven people, including two women, on various charges in the provinces of Bamyan, Herat, and Sar-e-Pol.
In Bamyan, two men and a woman were flogged in Yakawlang district on Monday, February 24, after being accused of “running away from home” and “facilitating the escape from home.” Each received 39 lashes and was sentenced to up to one year in prison.
In Herat, three individuals, including a woman, were flogged in Herat city on the same day on charges of engaging in an “illicit relationship.” Each received 39 lashes and was sentenced to two years in prison, according to the Taliban court.
Meanwhile, in Sar-e-Pol province, an individual was publicly flogged for allegedly “facilitating an escape from home.” The person was lashed 39 times in front of local authorities and bystanders and sentenced to one year in prison.
These incidents mark the latest in a series of public floggings that have been increasingly carried out by the Taliban in recent years. The regime’s use of corporal punishment has escalated in recent months, with such incidents now occurring nearly every day.
In a report presented to the UN Security Council in December, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that 108 people, including 26 women and one girl, were flogged across Afghanistan over a three-month period.
Since the start of February, at least 67 people, including 14 women, have been publicly flogged by the Taliban on various charges across the country.
The United Nations and human rights organizations have strongly condemned the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment, calling it a breach of international human rights law and urging an immediate halt.
However, the Taliban has defended the practice, asserting that it is in line with their interpretation of Sharia law. The group accuses its critics of either misinterpreting Islamic law or harboring biases against Islam.
