KABUL, Afghanistan — A woman and a man were publicly flogged in Ghazni province after being convicted of “moral corruption,” Taliban court said on Sunday, as they continue to carry out corporal punishment across the country.
According to a statement from the Taliban supreme court, the two individuals were each sentenced to five years in prison and received 39 lashes. The court did not provide details about the alleged offense beyond citing moral grounds.
Corporal punishment has escalated since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, with courts across the country issuing floggings for offenses ranging from adultery and theft to acts deemed contrary to Sharia law.
Statistics compiled by local observers indicate that more than 450 people were publicly flogged over the past year in 26 provinces, including Kabul and Kandahar. At least 60 of them were women. In the final three months of the previous year alone, more than 200 people, including 30 women, were subjected to public lashings in 14 provinces.
Rights organizations have condemned the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment, calling it a violation of international human rights obligations. Several watchdogs have urged the Taliban to halt such practices, which are carried out without transparent legal processes or access to independent defense.
The Taliban, however, continue to justify the punishments as part of their interpretation of Islamic law, despite widespread international criticism.
