The Taliban publicly flogged two men and a woman in the central province of Samangan on Saturday, according to a statement issued Sunday.
The three individuals were accused of “running away from home” and engaging in illicit relationships, the Taliban said in a statement.
Each individual received 39 lashes in front of a crowd that included local Taliban court officials and residents, the statement said.
This marks the latest instance of public corporal punishment under Taliban rule. Since late October, the Taliban have flogged at least 139 people, including 20 women, across various provinces on charges ranging from theft to alleged moral crimes.
The Taliban’s use of public floggings and other corporal punishments has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations and the international community.
Rights groups have condemned these actions as violations of human rights and human dignity, calling for an immediate halt to such practices.
Despite the backlash, the Taliban have defended these punishments as part of their strict interpretation of Islamic law, which they have increasingly enforced since taking power in August 2021.
