KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban publicly flogged three individuals in Paktika province in the east of the country on charges of “illicit relations and theft,” according to a statement by the Taliban-run supreme court.
The court said the punishments were carried out in the Yusufkhel district of Paktika.
Two of the accused were given 30 lashes each, while the third, accused of “having an affair”, received 11 lashes, the statement said.
The court’s statement detailed that the sentences were handed down by a local Taliban court in Yusufkhel and were later approved by the Taliban’s supreme court.
Corporal punishments by the Taliban have drawn renewed criticism from human rights organizations and international bodies, including the United Nations. These groups argue that the accused are often denied access to legal representation and are punished without regard for due process.
In its annual report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, the U.S. State Department described the Taliban’s method of punishing accused individuals 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.
