KUNDUZ, Afghanistan — As public punishments continue, the Taliban on Sunday publicly flogged an individual accused of sodomy in the Qala-e Zal district of Kunduz province.
In a statement, the Taliban’s Supreme Court confirmed that the punishment, administered within the courtyard of the district government office, consisted of 39 lashes. The individual was also sentenced to two years in prison.
Over the past month, at least 52 individuals, including 10 women, have been publicly flogged across 14 provinces, according to a report by the independent outlet Amu. The data, drawn from Taliban judiciary records, details accusations ranging from extramarital relationships and theft to fraud and sodomy.
The punishments, carried out in front of local residents, have drawn sharp condemnation from Afghan citizens, international human rights organizations, and global advocacy groups. Critics argue that the public nature of these floggings highlights the Taliban’s tightening grip on justice, which diverges starkly from internationally recognized human rights norms.
Data collected by Amu reveal that public floggings have taken place in provinces including Kabul, Parwan, Balkh, Maidan Wardak, Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Kapisa, Kunduz, Faryab, Badakhshan, Samangan, Ghazni, and Ghor. The province of Khost alone recorded 38 instances of flogging over the past two months, making it the epicenter of such cases.
Human rights organizations have expressed alarm over the resurgence of corporal punishment since the Taliban regained power in 2021.
