KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban Supreme Court has announced the public floggings of five individuals in Sar-e-Pol and Paktika provinces, highlighting a growing use of corporal punishment across Afghanistan.
According to the court, four men convicted of gambling were flogged in Sar-e-Pol province on Sunday. The punishment took place in Gosfandi district, where each received 25 lashes and a one-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
In a separate incident on the same day, an individual was publicly flogged in Urgun district of Paktika province for using counterfeit money. The person received 16 lashes and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
This latest incidents of corporal punishment comes amid mounting international criticism. Human rights organizations and the United Nations have condemned the Taliban’s actions as human rights violations, urging an immediate end to the punishments.
Despite the outcry, the Taliban has intensified its use of corporal punishment in recent months, routinely flogging individuals, including women and minors, on various charges. In its latest report, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented 180 public floggings, including three girls, over the past three months.
The regime has also carried out at least ten public executions for murder in recent years.
The Taliban defends its actions, saying that these punishments are in accordance with their interpretation of Sharia law. They accuse international critics of misrepresenting Islam and opposing their religious practices.
