Taliban publicly flogged two individuals accused of sodomy in separate incidents in Kandahar and Parwan provinces, the Taliban Supreme Court announced on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Taliban’s judiciary said that a man in Bagram District, Parwan Province, was sentenced to three years in prison and 39 lashes for sodomy. The ruling was issued by a lower court and later upheld by the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
In a separate case, a man in Maiwand District, Kandahar Province, was sentenced to one year in prison and 30 lashes on similar charges, the court said.
Over the past three weeks, the Taliban have publicly flogged 16 individuals, including five women, across various provinces on charges ranging from theft to moral crimes. In 2023, at least 580 people, including 42 women, were subjected to public lashings in different parts of Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s use of corporal punishment has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights organizations, including the United Nations.
Human rights groups have condemned the Taliban’s public punishments, describing them as inhumane and a violation of international human rights standards.
Global organizations have called on the Taliban to immediately cease the practice of public corporal punishment. Amnesty International has also raised concerns about the lack of due process and judicial safeguards for detainees under Taliban rule.
“The absence of fair trials and proper legal representation for defendants highlights a systemic failure to ensure justice,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
