Taliban publicly flogged three men and a woman in Kunduz and Paktia provinces as they continue their use of corporal punishment in the country.
The Taliban-run Supreme Court stated that a man and a woman were each given 25 lashes and sentenced to four months in prison after being charged with “fleeing from home.”
In a separate case, the Taliban reported that two men were flogged 39 times each on charges of theft and were sentenced to two years in prison.
The Taliban’s practice of corporal punishment has drawn repeated condemnation from the international community and human rights organizations. Since October 20, more than 160 individuals, including 22 women, have been publicly flogged in various provinces for charges ranging from theft to alleged moral crimes.
Amnesty International and other human rights watchdogs have called for an immediate end to these punishments, citing violations of international human rights norms.
The resurgence of corporal punishment in Afghanistan has further fueled concerns over the Taliban’s restrictive governance and its impact on civil liberties, particularly for women and marginalized communities.
