KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban publicly flogged a man and a woman in Kabul and Balkh provinces in recent days, underscoring the persistence of corporal punishment despite widespread international criticism.
According to a statement from the Taliban Supreme Court, a woman convicted of an “illicit relationship” was publicly lashed 39 times in northern Balkh province on Saturday, November 14. Local authorities and residents witnessed the punishment.
In a separate announcement, the court said a man convicted of “adultery” was publicly lashed 35 times in Kabul on Thursday, November 13, and sentenced to three years in prison.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has made public corporal punishment a core feature of its judicial system. Dozens of individuals, including women and LGBT+ people, have been publicly flogged for a range of offenses, from moral crimes to theft.
According to a recent report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), at least 242 people – including 48 women, one boy, and two girls – were publicly flogged across the country between July and September this year.
The group has also carried out public executions, with at least 11 people executed for murder in recent years.
Human rights organizations and the United Nations have repeatedly condemned these punishments, questioning the fairness of Taliban courts, particularly in cases where defendants are denied legal representation or the opportunity to defend themselves.
The Taliban, however, maintains that it implements Sharia law in Afghanistan, accusing other countries and organizations of either lacking sufficient knowledge or having issues with Islam.
