A young man and woman were publicly lashed in a stadium in Bamiyan city after being found guilty by a Taliban court of having an affair.
The two were sentenced to 29 lashes each, and had their punishment meted out in front of hundreds of spectators.
Confirming the incident, two sources aware of the matter, said the young man and woman were arrested about 40 days ago at Band-e-Amir National Park in Bamiyan province.
Local sources who know the couple and are aware of the matter said they had traveled to Bamiyan from Kabul for a vacation.
Ahead of the lashings, the Taliban made a public announcement in Bamiyan city’s main market – calling on locals to attend the public spectacle.
Taliban officials in Bamiyan did not comment on the matter and did not respond to Amu’s messages about the incident.
This comes a few days after Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada said at a meeting with Taliban court authorities in southern Afghanistan that they were to ensure punishment for crimes was meted out in accordance with Sharia law.
