KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced the public flogging of 36 individuals in Khost province. According to the court’s statement, the accused were convicted of offenses including drug-related crimes, extramarital relations, and sodomy.
The provincial court in Khost sentenced the individuals to 10 to 39 lashes and one to two years in prison. The floggings were carried out publicly on Monday (January 26).
Over the past four years, the Taliban have regularly carried out public corporal punishments. Human rights organizations have condemned these acts as cruel and in violation of international law, while the group maintains that such measures are part of their interpretation of Sharia law.
Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban have publicly executed at least 10 people and frequently imposed other forms of corporal punishment. These actions continue to draw widespread criticism from international rights groups and humanitarian organizations.
