KABUL — In a continued wave of corporal punishments, Taliban publicly flogged at least 18 people—including three women—over the past two days across four provinces, according to statements issued by the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
The latest incident took place in Kapisa province, where six individuals, including two women, were lashed in front of a crowd. The Taliban stated the individuals were convicted of “running away from home, illicit relationships, sodomy, and sexual assault.” According to the announcement, the sentences—approved by the Supreme Court—ranged from 22 to 39 lashes, alongside prison terms of six months to one year.
In separate incidents in Ghazni and Parwan, seven more people, including one woman, were similarly flogged in public for what the Taliban described as “adultery and sodomy.” These individuals received between 30 and 39 lashes and were sentenced to prison terms of up to three years. The punishments were also carried out after approval from the Taliban Supreme Court.
These incidents follow a broader pattern. In the past 48 hours, the Taliban have flogged individuals in at least four provinces—Logar, Badakhshan, Parwan, and Ghazni—on charges such as adultery, sodomy, and “illicit relationships.”
Amu’s findings based on Taliban-issued court data show that more than 798 people, including 140 women, have been publicly flogged in Afghanistan over the past three years.
In addition to corporal punishment, the Taliban have issued 176 death-by-retribution (qisas) sentences, 37 stoning sentences, and four cases involving punishment by wall collapse during the same period.
Rights groups and international organizations have repeatedly condemned such practices as violations of international human rights standards, but the Taliban continue to implement these sentences under their interpretation of Islamic law. The Taliban have not responded to renewed calls for an end to these punishments.
