KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban publicly flogged 17 people, including one woman, in Uruzgan and Kabul, the group’s Supreme Court confirmed.
Fifteen people were flogged today (April 17) in Tarinkot, the capital of Uruzgan province, following a ruling by the provincial primary court.
Among them, five were charged with theft, four with adultery, four with sodomy, and two with “illicit relationships.” Each received 39 lashes and was sentenced to between one and three years in prison.
A day earlier, the Taliban’s Department of Information and Culture in Uruzgan invited residents to watch the flogging at the provincial sports stadium.
In Kabul, one man and one woman were also publicly flogged yesterday for alleged illicit relations. Both received 39 lashes and were sentenced to one and a half years in prison.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have repeatedly carried out public corporal punishments. Hundreds have been flogged across the country, many on vague or morality-based charges.
Floggings have escalated in recent months. Since February, at least 36 people, including seven women, have been whipped in public.
The United Nations and rights groups have condemned the punishments as violations of international law and human dignity, urging the Taliban to stop the practice immediately.
Despite international criticism, the Taliban claim their actions are in line with Sharia law and accuse critics of opposing Islamic values.
