KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban publicly flogged 12 people in Kandahar’s Spin Boldak district on Tuesday, according to a statement from the Taliban provincial governor’s media office.
The statement, posted on social media, said the individuals were accused of theft, adultery, and sodomy.
The punishment was issued by a Taliban primary court in Spin Boldak, the statement said.
Taliban has publicly flogged hundreds of individuals after its leader issued an order in December 2022.
The corporal punishments by the Taliban have drawn renewed criticism from international human rights organizations, including the United Nations, which have repeatedly condemned the Taliban’s punitive measures.
Critics argue that the accused are often denied access to legal representation and are punished without due process.
In its latest annual human rights report, the United States Department of State described the Taliban’s methods as “inhumane” and called for an immediate halt to such practices.
Earlier this month, on June 3, the Taliban also punished 63 individuals, including 14 women, in the city of Pul-e-Khumri.
