KABUL – The Taliban have publicly flogged 16 people in Kabul on charges of buying, selling, and trafficking narcotic tablets, alcohol, and hashish, the group’s Supreme Court announced on Tuesday.
According to the court, a primary court in the capital had sentenced the individuals to between 10 and 39 lashes, along with prison terms ranging from eight months to three years.
The punishments were carried out in public on August 12.
The incident underscores the Taliban’s continued use of corporal punishment since regaining power in 2021. In June alone, more than 80 people, including several women., were publicly whipped across multiple provinces.
The group has also resumed public executions, with at least 10 men put to death before large crowds after being convicted of murder.
The United Nations and human rights organizations have condemned flogging and capital punishment as violations of international law and human dignity, urging the Taliban to end the practices.
The Taliban defend the measures as enforcement of Islamic Sharia law and accuse critics of misrepresenting Islamic values.
