KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban publicly flogged four people, including a woman, in Kabul’s Chahar Asyab district on charges of “adultery and illicit relations,” the group’s supreme court said Sunday.
Each person received 39 lashes and prison terms of one to three years, according to the court. The punishment was carried out in front of officials and local residents after approval by the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
The incident highlights the Taliban’s continued use of corporal punishment despite mounting international criticism. Human rights groups and the United Nations have repeatedly urged the group to abandon such practices, labeling them “inhuman” and “degrading.”
The UN’s latest quarterly report documented at least 234 public floggings across Afghanistan from April to June, including 48 women and even a child. The report highlights that the punishments are often conducted in front of large crowds, intended as public spectacles of deterrence.
Amnesty International on Friday once again condemned the Taliban’s actions, describing them as a “heinous” breach of international human rights law. The organization said floggings are imposed without due process, fair trials, or legal protections. It warned that such punishments deprive victims and their families of support and put communities — especially women — at greater risk of abuse both in society and within their homes.
“The Taliban must immediately put an end to the criminal practice of corporal punishment and respect international human rights law,” Amnesty said.
The Taliban, however, has remained defiant. Officials argue that corporal and capital punishments are consistent with their interpretation of Sharia law, rejecting international criticism as attempts to undermine or misrepresent Islam. Leaders of the group have repeatedly stated that they will not compromise on what they describe as religious obligations.
