KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has publicly flogged 14 individuals, including three women, in Kabul, Kunduz, and Ghazni provinces, according to the group’s supreme court.
In Kunduz province, a man and a woman accused of “adultery” were flogged in Qala-e-Zal district on Tuesday, May 20, the court said. Both received 39 lashes and were sentenced to three years in prison.
Seven people were flogged in Kabul on Monday, May 19, on charges of “adultery and drug trafficking.” The court said each received between 20 to 39 lashes and prison sentences ranging from eight months to three years. One of those punished was a woman.
In Ghazni, five people, including a woman, were flogged on Sunday on charges of “illicit relationships and drinking alcohol.” The floggings took place in Ab Band and Jaghori districts. Sentences included 19 to 39 lashes and prison terms of up to five years.
The court said the punishments were carried out in public, in the presence of local authorities and residents, following approval from the supreme court.
Despite ongoing criticism from the United Nations and rights groups, the Taliban has continued to carry out corporal punishments. In its recent report, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented 180 public floggings — including three girls — in the first three months of 2025.
The Taliban has also carried out at least ten public executions for murder in recent years.
The group defends these punishments, saying they are based on their interpretation of Islamic law. They accuse foreign critics of opposing Islam and disrespecting their religious practices.
