KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Taliban on Saturday announced that they had flogged a man accused of theft in the southern province of Kandahar, administering 39 lashes within the courtyard of a local court.
This incident is part of a broader pattern, with more than 25 individuals publicly flogged across various provinces in the past three weeks, reflecting the Taliban’s revival of corporal punishment since their return to power. According to data compiled from Taliban statements, over 720 people have been flogged in Afghanistan over the last three years.
The United Nations, in its latest quarterly report, has expressed deep concern over the continuation of these practices despite widespread international condemnation. Human rights organizations, including the U.N., have repeatedly called on the Taliban to end corporal punishment, denouncing it as a violation of international human rights standards.
A recent resolution from the U.N. Human Rights Council condemned the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment—such as flogging, stoning, and death by wall-burial—as severe violations of human rights. The resolution highlighted concerns over reports of extrajudicial punishments, underscoring the ongoing challenge of upholding human rights in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
