KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban authorities have announced that 18 people were publicly flogged in separate rulings issued by courts in Kabul and Bamyan provinces.
In a statement, the Taliban said the Primary Court for the Prevention of Narcotics and Intoxicants in Kabul sentenced 17 individuals on charges related to the sale and trafficking of narcotic tablets (known locally as “Tablet K” and “Zikap”), methamphetamine, and alcoholic beverages.
According to the statement, the punishments were carried out on 2 March 2026. The convicted individuals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from nine months to seven years. In addition, they received between 10 and 39 lashes as discretionary punishment.
The Taliban said the sentences were implemented after being approved by the Supreme Court.
In a separate case, the Urban Primary Court in Bamiyan province sentenced one man accused of theft. The punishment was carried out publicly on Tuesday, 3 March 2026.
The defendant was sentenced to one year in prison and 35 lashes. Taliban officials said the ruling was enforced after confirmation by the Supreme Court.
According to the statement, the public punishment ceremony in Bamiyan was attended by the head of the Court of Appeal, Mawlawi Sayed Mir Agha Hashemi, judicial officials, military and administrative personnel, and members of the public.
The event began with the recitation of verses from the Qur’an, followed by speeches by officials addressing the implementation of discretionary and Islamic punishments.
The Taliban have continued to enforce corporal punishments in public settings since returning to power in August 2021, drawing criticism from international human rights organizations.
A previous UN report recorded at least 215 cases of public corporal punishment in Afghanistan between 1 August and 31 October of 2025, including 42 women, two girls, and one boy. Those punished faced allegations ranging from adultery and fleeing homes to same-sex relations, alcohol consumption, and gambling.
Human rights groups and international organizations have condemned the practices as “cruel, inhuman, and degrading,” calling on the Taliban to halt public punishments in line with international law. The Taliban defend the practice as enforcement of Sharia law, dismissing critics as opposing Islamic principles.
