Human Rights

Taliban flog three in Takhar

Taliban publicly flogged a woman and two men in the northeastern province of Takhar on charges of “illicit relations and theft” as they continue implementing corporal punishments.

The punishments were carried out in Yangi Qala district, where each of the three individuals received 39 lashes, according to a statement issued by the Taliban’s Supreme Court.

Two of the individuals, accused of engaging in extramarital relations, were also sentenced to two years in prison.

The court stated that the punishments followed final approval from the Taliban’s highest judicial authority.

According to figures gathered by Amu TV, at least 81 people — including 15 women — have been publicly flogged across more than 14 provinces since the beginning of the Afghan calendar month of Sawr (April 20 to May 20). The punishments, carried out in public squares or local sports fields, have drawn widespread condemnation.

Human rights organizations have denounced the floggings as violations of international conventions and fundamental human dignity. Afghan citizens interviewed by local outlets also described the public punishments as “cruel and inhumane.”

In addition to floggings, the Taliban reportedly carried out four executions by Qisas — retributive justice — in the provinces of Farah, Nimruz and Badghis during the previous month. Those incidents triggered international criticism, with rights advocates warning of a return to the Taliban’s practices from their previous rule in the 1990s.

Taliban have defended the punishments as consistent with their interpretation of Sharia law.