KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban publicly flogged eight people in Kabul and Kapisa provinces this week after convicting them of spreading anti-regime propaganda and drug-related offenses, the group’s Supreme Court announced Sunday.
In Kapisa, a man accused of “propaganda against the Islamic Emirate” was whipped 39 times on Wednesday and sentenced to one and a half years in prison, the court said. No further details were released about the individual.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has detained dozens of journalists and activists under similar charges. At least 10 reporters remain behind bars, serving sentences of up to two years, according to the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC).
In a separate case, the court said seven people were flogged in Kabul on Thursday after being convicted of selling substances including Tablet K, Zeegap, opium, alcohol, and hashish. The individuals received between 10 and 39 lashes, along with prison terms ranging from one to five years.
The punishments were approved by the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
The public floggings are part of a growing pattern of corporal punishment under Taliban rule. In June, more than 80 people — including women — were whipped in public across several provinces.
The Taliban has also resumed public executions. At least 10 men convicted of murder have been executed before crowds.
The United Nations and international human rights groups have denounced these punishments as cruel, degrading, and contrary to international law. The Taliban, however, maintains that the practice aligns with their interpretation of Islamic law.
