KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban authorities have carried out corporal punishment against at least 40 individuals in Kabul and northern Faryab province in recent days, according to rulings issued by Taliban-run primary courts. The punishments, which included imprisonment and public flogging, were implemented after approval by the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
In Kabul, primary urban courts and courts responsible for combating narcotics and alcohol offenses sentenced 37 individuals on charges related to the sale and trafficking of narcotic tablets, methamphetamine, alcohol, hashish, as well as theft. Court statements said the punishments were enforced on January 19, 2026, and February 1–2, 2026. Those convicted received prison sentences ranging from seven months to three years, along with 10 to 39 lashes as discretionary punishment.
In a separate case in Shirin Tagab district of Faryab province, Taliban authorities publicly enforced corporal punishment against three men convicted of producing, selling, and consuming alcohol. The punishment was carried out on Monday, February 2, 2026, following a ruling by the district’s primary court. Each of the three men was sentenced to two years in prison and 39 lashes, a decision that was also approved by the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
According to Taliban officials, the punishment in Faryab was carried out in public and attended by the head of the primary court, religious scholars, civilian and military officials, as well as a large gathering of local residents.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have resumed the use of corporal punishment and public enforcement of sentences as part of their interpretation of Islamic law, a practice that has drawn criticism from international human rights organizations, while the group continues to defend the measures as lawful and deterrent.
