KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban on Saturday publicly flogged six people in the Afghan capital after convicting them of drug‑related offenses, the group’s Supreme Court said.
The six were accused of selling Tablet K, Zeegap, opium, alcohol and hashish. They were sentenced to between 10 and 30 lashes each, along with prison terms ranging from seven months to two years.
The punishments were carried out in front of onlookers, continuing a pattern of public corporal punishment the Taliban have reinstated since returning to power in 2021.
Rights groups and the United Nations have repeatedly condemned such practices as inhumane and in violation of international law, citing a lack of due process, fair trials and legal representation for those accused.
Saturday’s floggings are part of a growing wave of public punishments. At least 53 people, including several women, have been flogged in public across multiple provinces this week alone.
Over the past four years, Taliban courts have frequently staged floggings in stadiums, mosque courtyards and public squares, often announcing them through the Supreme Court. In some weeks, dozens of people accused of crimes ranging from theft to so‑called moral offenses have been flogged in front of large crowds, underscoring the group’s growing reliance on public corporal punishment as a tool of control.
The Taliban maintain that public floggings and executions are in line with their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law and accuse critics of opposing Islamic principles.
