KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban publicly flogged a man and a woman in eastern Nangarhar province on Wednesday after they were convicted of engaging in an “illicit relationship,” the group’s supreme court announced.
In a statement, the court said the punishment was carried out in Shirzad district following approval from the Taliban’s highest judicial authority. Each individual received 30 lashes in the presence of local officials and members of the public.
Since returning to power more than four years ago, the Taliban have carried out hundreds of public floggings, including cases involving women and children. These punishments often take place in sports stadiums, mosques, and district centers across the country.
A recent report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres documented at least 215 cases of public corporal punishment from August 1 to October 31, including 42 women, two girls, and one boy, for a range of offenses.
Human rights groups have condemned the practice as “cruel, inhuman and degrading,” and called on the Taliban to halt it. The Taliban say the punishments are part of enforcing Sharia law and accuse critics of opposing Islamic principles.
