KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban have carried out corporal punishments, known as ta’zir penalties, against several individuals in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan and Ghor provinces, following rulings issued by local primary courts and approved by the Supreme Court, according to Taliban authorities.
Ta’zir punishments are discretionary penalties under the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law and may include imprisonment, flogging, or other sanctions determined by judges. Human rights groups have repeatedly criticised the practice, saying it violates international human rights standards and is often carried out publicly.
In Badakhshan province, the Taliban said a man accused of theft was punished on the basis of a ruling by the Primary Court of Darwaz district. The court sentenced the accused to 39 lashes as a ta’zir punishment. The ruling, dated Sunday (January 25), was implemented after receiving final approval from the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
Taliban officials said the punishment was carried out in the presence of judicial officials, representatives of the district administration, the provincial police command, members of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, intelligence officials, the complaints commission, and local residents.
In a separate case in Ghor province, the Taliban reported that two individuals were punished following a decision by the Primary Court of Dawlatyar district. The two were convicted of “facilitating escape and fleeing from home,” according to the Taliban statement.
The court sentenced each of the two individuals to six months in prison and 36 lashes as ta’zir punishment. The ruling, dated Saturday (January 24), was also implemented after approval by the Supreme Court, Taliban officials said.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have reinstated corporal punishments and public enforcement of their judicial rulings, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and international human rights organizations, which have called for an immediate halt to such practices.
