KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, condemned the flogging of scores of people in Sar-e Pul and Ghor provinces, stating that the acts violate Afghanistan’s obligations to prohibit torture and other forms of “cruel and inhuman punishment.”
In a statement, Bennett called for an immediate halt to corporal punishments in Afghanistan. “It needs to stop now,” he stressed.
“Once again, I condemn the widespread flogging of men, women, and children, this time in public in Sar-e Pul and Ghor for so-called ‘moral crimes’ (adultery, elopement, etc.),” Bennett said.
On Tuesday, the Taliban publicly flogged at least 63 individuals, including 14 women, in Sar-e Pul province on charges of various crimes.
