KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban publicly flogged a man and a woman in the eastern province of Khost on charges of “moral corruption,” according to a statement released by the Taliban’s Supreme Court on Thursday.
The individuals, whose identities were not disclosed, each received 39 lashes in a public ceremony held on the court premises. Local Taliban officials, including district leaders and police commanders, as well as community members, attended the event, the statement said.
A pattern of punishments
This latest incident follows a similar public flogging earlier this week, when three individuals were lashed on charges of adultery in a sports stadium in Khulm district, Samangan Province.
In the past month alone, the Taliban have publicly flogged 99 people, including 15 women, for offenses ranging from theft to so-called moral misconduct.
Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban have reinstated public corporal punishments reminiscent of their rule in the 1990s. These include public floggings, stonings, and executions.
The provinces of Jawzjan and Khost have reported the highest number of public floggings in the past month, with 22 and 17 cases, respectively.
According to data compiled by Amu, the Taliban have issued 176 qisas (retributive justice) sentences over the past three years. Six individuals currently await qisas sentences in Taliban-controlled prisons.
International outcry
Global human rights organizations, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, have consistently condemned the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment and retributive justice.
“These practices violate fundamental human rights and dignity,” the UN said in a recent statement, reiterating calls for an immediate halt to such actions.
