Taliban carried out public floggings of three men in the provinces of Kunduz, Paktika, and Uruzgan, accusing them of “sodomy, theft, and moral corruption.”
The incidents are part of the Taliban’s ongoing use of corporal punishment in public settings, which has drawn sharp international condemnation.
In separate statements, the Taliban’s Supreme Court said each individual received 39 lashes and was also sentenced to prison terms ranging from six months to six years. The punishments were carried out following the approval of Taliban courts, according to the statements.
The individuals were flogged in Aliabad district in Kunduz, Khushamand district in Paktika, and Chenartu district in Uruzgan.
Including these latest cases, the Taliban have flogged 31 people, including six women, in various provinces over the past month. Charges have ranged from theft and adultery to “moral corruption.”
The practice of public corporal punishment has provoked outrage from global human rights organizations, including the United Nations, which has called for an immediate end to such measures.
Amnesty International has also expressed concern over the lack of fair trial standards and the inability of detainees to access proper legal representation under Taliban rule.
