KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban publicly flogged a woman in the eastern province of Khost on Tuesday, accusing her of “moral corruption,” according to a statement from the Taliban-controlled Supreme Court.
The woman received 39 lashes and was sentenced to five months in prison by a local Taliban court.
This incident follows a similar punishment in Baghlan Province, where another woman was publicly flogged on charges of “procuring immoral acts.” She received 30 lashes and was sentenced to six months in prison, according to previous statements from the Taliban judiciary.
Surge in public punishments
Since October 22, 2024, Taliban have publicly flogged 95 individuals, including 15 women, across various provinces for offenses ranging from theft to “moral corruption.”
The provinces of Jawzjan and Khost have reported the highest number of public floggings, with 22 and 17 cases, respectively, recorded in the past month.
Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban have gradually returned to the public corporal punishments reminiscent of their 1990s rule. Over the past three years, they have issued 176 qisas (retributive justice) sentences, including stonings and executions, according to data collected by Amu. Six individuals are currently awaiting qisas sentences in Taliban-administered prisons.
Global condemnation
International human rights organizations, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, have repeatedly condemned the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment and retributive justice, calling for an immediate halt to such practices.
The resurgence of public punishments underscores the Taliban’s continued adherence to policies that human rights groups deem as degrading and incompatible with international norms.
