KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has publicly flogged three people, including a woman, in separate incidents in northern and central Afghanistan, the group’s Supreme Court announced.
In a statement posted on social media, the court said a man and a woman were flogged in Takhar province’s Dasht-e-Qala district on Wednesday, June 18, after being convicted of adultery. Each received 39 lashes. The punishment was carried out at the district police headquarters following approval by the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
In a separate case, the court said a man was flogged in Chak district of Maidan Wardak province the same day. He was convicted of sodomy, received 30 lashes in public, and was sentenced to five years in prison.
These cases add to a growing number of public punishments carried out by the Taliban since their return to power in 2021. In May alone, Taliban courts announced the flogging of at least 117 people, including many women.
The United Nations and human rights groups have condemned the practice, calling it a violation of international law and human dignity. They have also raised concerns over the lack of fair trials and legal representation in Taliban courts.
The Taliban says it is enforcing Islamic law and rejects criticism, accusing critics of either misrepresenting Islam or harboring anti-Islamic bias.
