KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced the public flogging of a woman and eight men in separate incidents across the provinces of Samangan and Khost.
In a statement issued Saturday (May 31), the court said a woman and a man were flogged in the Royi Do Aab district of Samangan after being convicted of “adultery.” Both received 39 lashes in a public setting.
In a separate announcement, the court reported that seven men were publicly flogged in Khost’s Tani and Sabri districts on charges including “sodomy,” “attempted murder,” and “theft.” Each received between 35 and 39 lashes and was sentenced to between three and ten years in prison.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has reinstated public corporal punishments as a core element of its judicial system. Hundreds of people—including women and members of the LGBT+ community—have been publicly flogged on various charges.
The group has also resumed public executions, with at least ten individuals executed in front of large crowds in recent years.
The United Nations and international human rights organizations have condemned these practices, calling them violations of international law and human dignity. They have also raised concerns about the lack of due process in Taliban courts, where the accused are often denied legal representation and the right to a fair defense.
The Taliban, however, insists it is enforcing Sharia law in accordance with Islamic principles, accusing critics of either misunderstanding Islam or holding prejudiced views toward it.
