KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has carried out public floggings of nine people, including a woman, in Kabul and Samangan provinces, according to the group’s supreme court.
In a statement on Tuesday, the court said a man and a woman were flogged 39 times each in Samangan on Sunday, June 15. They were punished for “running away from home” and “adultery”.
According to the court, seven others were flogged in Kabul for selling and trafficking drugs and alcohol. Each was sentenced to between 10 and 39 lashes, with the punishments approved by the Supreme Court.
These incidents are the latest in an increasing pattern of public punishments by the Taliban in recent years. In May alone, at least 117 people, including many women, were publicly flogged, according to announcements from Taliban courts
The United Nations and 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-run courts.
The Taliban, however, defends the punishments, saying it is enforcing Islamic law and accuses critics of either misrepresenting Islam or harboring anti-Islamic bias.
